A Closer Listen
Here’s where the most unique music is found: the music that either captures the imagination or – in its use of abstraction, dissonance, atonalism and more – makes one swim back to the safety of shore. While the outer edge of music sometimes makes it to the center, more often these artists remain relegated to the sidelines, which if asked is where many would prefer to stay. In this preview, we celebrate the vision of composers who see beyond the veil of accessibility and venture into territories unknown. Some operate in alternate universes; others are ahead of their time. Together, they push music forward, whether or not it wants to be nudged. We hope you’ll enjoy this sneak peek at the winter slate in experimental music, with two more previews still to come!
Experimental Electronic
The Reaper & Me comes from a terrifying time: the beginning of the A.I.D.S. epidemic in New York. R. Weis‘ project is unveiled on February 2, the heart of winter. Accessible beats are paired with creative instrumentation, including table knife, takeout container, intrusive cricket and Andean flute.
Philippe Petit has been working up to the release of A Divine Comedy for years. This ambitious project uses electronics and samples to create a sonic collage that reflects upon and enhances Alighieri’s original vision. In effect, it operates as an alternate score to the epic poem (Cronica, February 13). A more prominent use of poetry is present on Hourloupe‘s Opera of the War, a timely meditation on conflict and loss that imagines a composer sitting in ruins, determined to create a symphony of fragments (January 12).
The Sonic Catering band makes music with “blenders, frying pans and gurgling soup,” while their friends use slightly more conventional instrumentation. Both meet on the OST to Flux Gourmet, which includes guest appearances from members of Broadcast, Nurse With Wound and A Hawk and a Hacksaw (Ba Da Bing, January 26).
Brunhild Ferrari returns with Extérieur-jour, a pair of extended electro-acoustic pieces, one billed as “a movie for the ears” and the other “a meditation on the loss and reappearance of memory and silence” (Drag City, January 26). Francisco Meirino‘s fascination with magnetic frequencies and dying devices becomes A Perpetual Host, an electro-acoustic set that bears a wide range of dynamic contrast, both between and within tracks (Misanthropic Agenda, January 26).
Turntables, metal pipes and other objects factor into Split Series Vol. 2, which pairs Aviva Endean and Henrik Olsson for a series of sonic adventures. If listeners need grounding, they may gravitate to the flute, although even its use is unconventional (FRIM, February 23). Pierre Bastien and Mike Cooper join forces on Aquapelagos Vol. 2: Indico, folding birds and rain into settings including both melody and feedback, an imitation of the wild (Keroxen, January 26). Roman Rofalski‘s music borrows equally from modern composition and jazz: decidedly non-linear, though grounded by electronic backdrops. Fractal is released January 19 on Oscillations.
Dissonance, abrasion and high pitches make blackmagix.asd our least accessible release of the season, but that may be the point; Bios Contrast & Nilotpal Das investigate levels of discomfort by using patterns found in everyday use (Brahmancore, February 16). Gameboys & Pedals is exactly what it sounds like, although less melodic than one might imagine; Kenn Hartwig‘s GameBoy is far removed from its designers’ original intentions (February 9). Semiotic Ghosts‘ No. 5 seeks to find “meaning in abstraction,” with tones that border on the foreboding and apprehensive, track title “The She-Wolf” a dead giveaway (January 5).
Jazz and Improvisation
We say this every season: 577 Records really has their advance promotion down. One release is already out, while five are in pre-order. With trumpet and double bass, Benjamín Vergara & Amanda Irarrazabal translate the landscapes of Chile into sound on Último Sosiego (January 3). Daniel Carter’s Playfield octet finds its Magic Heart through wild improvisation and field recordings (January 19); Francesco Mela and Zoh Amba make a joyful noise with sax, flute, drums and voice on Causa y Efecto, Vol. 2 (February 2). The intriguingly-titled [ism] offers Maua, a set of live recordings from Berlin’s Au Topsi Pohl (February 16). Pianist Eva Novoa expands to a trio on Novoa / Gress / Fray Trio, Vol. 1, with subtle use of soft electronics (February 21). And exposing the label’s predilection for series, Infinite Cosmos Calling You You You Vol. 1 is the latest collaboration from Federico Ughi feat. Leo Genovese and Brandon Lopez (March 9).
Sawyer Editions has five releases scheduled for January 5 (5 for 5!). We love the name Germaine Sijstermans And The Prague Quiet Music Collective, whose music does just what it says; always audible, but notably restrained. Matt Sargent‘s series of “Illuminations” use mallet instruments and chimes to create a holy atmosphere. On Snow, Kory Reeder provides two quarter-hour pieces whose notes fall softly like flurries, accumulating but never threatening. Noah Jenkins continues to play through every kind of weather, a duet of water and brass; while Ben Zucker experiments with tone and duration.
Piano – whether solo or ensemble – features strongly in many of this season’s releases. On Ogura Plays Ogura, Miharu Ogura‘s keys are often silent, as she delves into silence and decay (thanatosis, February 16). Lisa Ullén‘s style of play is unconventional, often atonal; on Heirloom, the solo pianist investigates all facets of the “in-between” (fonstret, February 12). Yu-Hui Chang is similarly thoughtful, her compositions augmented by cello, string quartet and ensemble. Mind Like Water is released on New Focus January 19. Piano and guitar are the instruments on Reinhold Friedl / Martin Siewert‘s Lichtung, but none of the timbres are expected. Instead, the album offers an investigation of frequency and tone (Karlrecords, January 12).
Pianist Amaro Frietas pays tribute to the planet and the indigenous community of Sateré Mawé, with flute and drums offering a majestic regional vibe. Y’Y is out March 1 on Psychic Hotline. Swing and Latin jazz meet on On Different Paths, from trumpeter Marlon Simon and friends. The album is heavy on groove, performed with The Naguel Spirits (Truth Revolution, January 26). Mike Cooper And Friends offer a loving tribute on Soprano – An Homage to Lol Coxhill. The album is a saxophone elegy, a statement of friendship and respect (Room40, February 2).
Richard Allen
Thu Jan 04 00:01:11 GMT 2024