Reinier van Houdt – drift nowhere past / the adventure of sleep

Going through Twitter contacts on my account (which will be changed soon, as I want an account that will only concentrate on music and not any other of my pursuits), I came across the name of a label whose work always left me impressed, but whom I had forgotten about, Continue Reading

Dirk Fock (composer), Irene Maessen, Mattijs van de Woerd, Maurice Lammerts van Bueren – Songs and Sketches

Dirk Fock was a Dutch-American pianist with a very interesting musical history, including working with Richard Strauss.  From the Bandcamp site: Dirk Fock (1886-1973) In 1945 the Dutch-born conductor and composer Dirk Fock (also: Foch) became an American citizen. Before that – during the interwar years – he conducted many Continue Reading

Adrian Copeland – If This Were My Body

Sublime.  There’s no other word for it.  If you enjoy modern classical music, especially by composers like Gorecki, Ligeti or Penderecki, Canadian composer Adrian Copeland has something here which will appeal to you, with long, mournful drones, sparse instrumentation, and a rough, melancholic feel to the tracks.  Track 4, Heir Continue Reading

Mattia Cupelli – Ides Of March

As the world is in a state of free-fall at the moment, it is nice to take some time to listen to something mellow, perhaps saccharine to some tastes, but calming nonetheless.  Mattia Cupelli’s release is an appropriate one to share today considering the album’s title, most recognized as the Continue Reading

Chris Conway – When Pianos Dream

Though his bio on Bandcamp calls him a superlative jazz pianist, I would have to add that Chris Conway handles modern classical music with as much aplomb.  He has also worked with some stellar musicians, including Guy Barker, Andy Sheppard, Stan Sulzman, Martin Speake and the legendary Finnish sax player Continue Reading

Jacaszek & Kwartludium – Catalogue des Arbres

Michał Jacaszek is a Polish composer joined by the Kwartludium, a contemporary classical music quartet who, until coming across this recording, I had never heard of previously.  Jacaszek, the quartet, and the musicians who supplement this recording make a very tense, yet totally organic series of an electroacoustic series of Continue Reading

Alexei Aigui & Arkady Marto – DA

This should be a breakout year for Alexei Aigui, who has released his fourth album of the year in collaboration with pianist Arkady Marto. The album is absolutely sublime. Each track has a gentle touch, balancing violin and piano perfectly. The cornerstone of the album for me is this track, Continue Reading

The Striking Chamber – Tomás Luis de Victoria: Collected Works

Although there are some phenomenal classical musicians represented on Bandcamp, I didn’t expect to hear any work by the Counter-Reformation-era priest and composer Tomás Luis de Victoria.  This cassette tape, released by The Striking Chamber, came as a pleasant surprise.  It’s only 13 minutes long, and it’s released here as Continue Reading