Exploring the sophisticated capacities of overdubbing, Montreal-based bass clarinettist Philippe Lauzier has created a multilayered program, which emphasizes not only the reedy tones but also the consolidated air currents emanating from his instrument. Like an action painter who works in oils, Lauzier thickens his timbres in such a way as to bring out new perceptionsContinue reading “Philippe Lauzier. A Pond in my Living Room.”
Genre Archives
Dario Calderone. James Tenney Bass Works.
In 1983, composer James Tenney posed the question: Why is a compound tone consisting of many harmonic partials perceived as a single tone? He apparently didn’t find a satisfactory answer, and surmised that the solution must reside in the listeners themselves. That is where the music is, states musicologist Eric Smigel in the liner notesContinue reading “Dario Calderone. James Tenney Bass Works.”
Eighty-five scores celebrate Pauline Oliveros
Still Listening: New Works in Honour of Pauline Oliveros (1932-2016) is a project initially conceived to mark Oliveros’ eighty-fifth birthday on May 30, 2017. Eighty-five artists were invited to create eighty-five new compositions, each with a duration of eighty-five seconds. Organized by trumpeter Eric Lewis and flutist Ellen Waterman, with help from McGill University studentsContinue reading “Eighty-five scores celebrate Pauline Oliveros”
Vicky Chow. A O R T A.
One hundred years ago, Erik Satie coined the phrase furniture music. The French composer and pianist applied the term—Musique d’ameublement, more correctly translated as “furnishing music”—to short repetitive pieces meant to be heard as background music in specific rooms. No one had heard music presented this way before 1917, and thus Satie presaged both minimalismContinue reading “Vicky Chow. A O R T A.”
Craig Aalders’ el8dEra 3m
Ice cracking and melting; a forest by the coast; a dream; breath lingering in the cold air—these are some of the images that come to mind when listening to Vancouver composer Craig Aalders’ el8dEra 3m, the first-prize-winning composition in Musicworks’ 2016 annual Electronic Music Composition contest. An absorbing, ethereal work of shimmering organic tones andContinue reading “Craig Aalders’ el8dEra 3m”
Mark Hannesson. Angels.
When one thinks of the work of the Wandelweiser label’s composers, one might imagine an ultrafragile, moment-to-moment formlessness that hovers indefinitely for a piece’s duration—any given sonority is somehow equivalent to any other. Mark Hannesson’s new disc of solo piano, Angels, is a reminder that Wandelweiser neither represents a school of thought nor a singularContinue reading “Mark Hannesson. Angels.”
Sixth Dither Extravaganza.
Despite its name, the guitar quartet Dither means business. The New York-based group made waves with the 2015 Tzadik release John Zorn’s Olympiad Vol 1: Dither Plays Zorn, with the foursome playing some of Zorn’s less-heard game pieces. But even before that, they were hosting an annual, daylong festival of spirited and eclectic music. TheContinue reading “Sixth Dither Extravaganza.”
Jason Sharp. A Boat Upon Its Blood.
Baritone and bass saxophonist Jason Sharp is a long-time collaborator with poet Kaie Kellough and has been involved in the Montreal music scene for several years as a member of large ensembles (Sam Shalabi’s Land of Kush, and Nicolas Caloia’s Ratchet Orchestra), playing with Matana Roberts and Thee Silver Mt. Zion Orchestra, and opening forContinue reading “Jason Sharp. A Boat Upon Its Blood.”
Amy Brandon. Scavenger.
Truro-based guitarist and composer Amy Brandon is a quietly singular figure whose musical language hovers softly between numerous familiar styles—notably outside jazz, fingerstyle, and modern composition. Scavenger, her debut recording, isn’t especially conspicuous, yet it’s nearly impossible to think of any cohabitants of her very particular universe. While nylon-string guitar is unquestionably in the foregroundContinue reading “Amy Brandon. Scavenger.”
Philippe Battikha. Invisible Backgrounds.
Balance and variety are the keys to Montreal trumpet player Philippe Battikha’s latest release, on which he avoids the flashy displays of technical virtuosity evident on many solo instrumental albums. Best known for his work in noisy ensembles such as La Part Maudite and Corse and as a member of Nicolas Caloia’s Ratchet Orchestra, BattikhaContinue reading “Philippe Battikha. Invisible Backgrounds.”