Endlings is the duo of John Dieterich—best known as a guitarist for the bent-rock outfit Deerhoof—and composer, artist, and performer Raven Chacon. Much of their new album Human Form feels damaged and sweet in equal measure, its peculiar sonics tumbling all over you like an upturned bushel of bruised fruit. From a listener’s standpoint, theContinue reading “Endlings. Human Form.”
Genre Archives
Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville, 37th edition.
Interrupted—like most music festivals—by the global pandemic, Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville (FIMAV) prided itself on being one of the first organizations to resume live programming, albeit with strict COVID-19 protocols, and its all-Canadian lineup thankfully delivered the goods for music-starved concertgoers. Since FIMAV’s 2020 edition never took place, the festival programmed severalContinue reading “Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville, 37th edition.”
Sounds of an Unfolding Emergency
“we have no power or wifi/internet” “we still have power but no water” “still no power also, using the car as a heater and to charge my phone” “no power but doing okay” “keep an eye out for a boil water notice” “are there any gas stations in Brownsville without a 2Continue reading “Sounds of an Unfolding Emergency”
What’s Inside Musicworks 139?
ON THE COVER: Evensong (2018) by Lou Sheppard, who recently made the 2021 long list for the prestigious Sobey Art Award. Congratulations Lou! This issue contains a special 30-page section that explores climate emergency through the stories of nine sound and music artists, whose creative work expands our understanding of ecological loss and its environmental and emotional impact.Continue reading “What’s Inside Musicworks 139?”
Spring/Summer 2021
The Glittery World of Olivia Shortt
Olivia Shortt may not be a household name, but anyone who’s caught one of their eccentric stage performances—either solo or in avant-garde ensembles—has probably not forgotten them. Over the past few years, Shortt has built an enviable résumé. They made their Lincoln Center debut at the 2018 Mostly Mozart festival’s concert of Michael Pisaro’s monumentalContinue reading “The Glittery World of Olivia Shortt”
Sarah Davachi. Cantus, Descant; The Eternal Chord. Mutatis Mutandis.
Sarah Davachi strives to bridge the ancient and the contemporary. Her 2015 debut, Barons Court, built drones from analog synths and her harmonium, along with guest oboe, flute, viola, and cellos. On her eighth full-length album, she performs alone with a series of formidable “partners”: five pipe organs housed in Vancouver (at the Pacific SpiritContinue reading “Sarah Davachi. Cantus, Descant; The Eternal Chord. Mutatis Mutandis.”
Winter 2020-2021
What’s Inside Musicworks 138?
The final issue of 2020 is is dedicated to the art of conversation . . . in music and about music. Unable to practice, perform, or listen to music together in person in a room, music friends have been meeting each other in other kinds of venues—including the pages of Musicworks—to make and talk aboutContinue reading “What’s Inside Musicworks 138?”
Indweller. Living Gem.
Indweller is the new collaborative duo of Toronto-based multidisciplinary audiovisual artist and producer Ilyse Krivel (eternalrealworld) and multi-instrumentalist Colin Fisher. Living Gem, their remarkable debut, showcases their complementary approaches, while probing the very nature of collaboration. Krivel recorded Fisher performing saxophone, guitar, and drum parts, and then constructed each song out of those building blocks,Continue reading “Indweller. Living Gem.”