My, this is a lovely release. Passepartout Duo manage to balance modern classical music with a minimal post-rock sound without the “rock” part. It’s exquisite listening, especially for those who like minimalist music. Think of Arvo Pärt collaborating with Sigur Rós, and this might give you an idea of what Continue Reading
Contemporary Classical
Nick Sudnick – Opera of the Sixth Hour
Zga bandleader Nick Sudnick has been busy composing his Opera of the Hours series, and this installation might be his most creative yet. It has the passion of Rock-In-Opposition with a touch of Frank Zappa’s general weirdness. This is in keeping with what I remember of the old Soviet avant-garde Continue Reading
OpensoundOrchestra – String Quartets
Today, we have some fine contemporary classical music coming out of Russia. Fancy Music usually deliver consistently good albums, and this one is no exception. The Opensoundorchestra interpret the works of newer composers such as Nastasya Khrushcheva, Elmir Nizamov, Anatoly Palaev, Vladimir Kobekin, Vladimir Martynov and zhokhowski
Ilia Belorukov & Marina Džukljev – Everything Changes, Nothing Disappears
Ilia Belorukov is a multi-instrumentalist who hails from Russia, but since the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he has been a resident of Novi Sad Serbia and will probably be for awhile. He is making wonderful use of his time by collaborating with local talent. Marina Džukljev is a pianst and first-rate improvisor, Continue Reading
Misty Shore Duo – Stillness and Waves
The Misty Shore Duo are Chen-Hui Jen & Jacob Sudol, with Jen performing on piano and Sudol performing with computer electronics. The duo perform the works of Morton Feldman, Alvin Lucier, Michael Pisaro and one of Sudol’s own compositions. For electroacoustic music, each track has an amazing warmth to it.
Chiyomi Yamada – Gilyak Songs
From Chiyomi Yamada’s Bandcamp site: “Piano songs by the Japanese composer Akira Ifukube (1914–2006), interpreted by , voice, and Reiko Yamada, piano. Ifukube, who also composed the theme song of “Godzilla”, wrote these magical pieces based on traditional songs from native tribes of northern Japan. The sound and style of Continue Reading
Thierry Zaboitzeff – LUVOS migrations – EP
Legendary former Art Zoyd composer and multi-instrumentalist Thierry Zaboitzeff has a new EP. From his Bandcamp site: “LUVOS migrations is the original soundtrack of the dance film by Editta Braun and Menie Weissbacher, AT 2022. Vision of the future or images from a parallel universe? In breathtaking natural sceneries, automated Continue Reading
Novoselie, Questa Musica – Requiem
A sublime, baroque look at the requiem on Fancy Music. From the label’s Bandcamp site: “Requiem (from Latin requies – “rest”) is a high genre of concert sacred music, a kind of mourning oratorio. Even the above phrase is little understood by the general public, not to mention the names Continue Reading
Helen Svoboda – The Odd River
Helen Svoboda is a Finnish-Australian composer, double bassist and singer whose work reminds me in some way of Laurie Anderson’s work, but perhaps denser and more lush. This makes for a pretty phenomenal listen.
Divertissement Сhamber Orchestra, Sergey Kuryokhin – Re:SEASONS
Sergey Kuryokhin was as fine a composer as he was an improvisor. The Divertissement Orchestra, led by violinist Ilya Ioff, reinterprets one of Kuryokhin’s finest compositions from his album The Sparrow Oratorium. Well-played, indeed. Alisa Ten: vocals [1, 2, 4] Vera Chekanova: vocals [2, 3, 4] Lidia Kovalenko: violin [1], Continue Reading