Two small ambient/orchestral pieces have been released by the composer ǽfv, of whom I know nothing except that she is an experimental composer and cellist whose short compositions left me wanting much more.
Experimental
Joseph Benzola & Dave Seidel – Fairyland
Drummer and percussionist Joseph Benzola is amazing at his craft, but composer Dave Seidel adds to Joe’s playing by stretching the sounds without distorting their energy.
William Ryan Fritch – Polarity
Welcome to 2023! We start the year by sharing a release due on January 13 by American composer William Ryan Fritch, who has been previously featured on the blog before. From his label, Lost Tribe Sound’s Bandcamp site: “‘Polarity’ is the first in a three album series reflecting on the Continue Reading
Ani Zakareishvili – Fallin
Ani Zakareishvili has produced a work of genius – something that feels like it would have fit in the classic movie The Shining, with its surreal, hazy feel to it. From Warm Winters Ltd.’s Bandcamp site: “Tbilisi, Georgia-based artist Ani Zakareishvili joins the Warm Winters Ltd. roster with a hazy, Continue Reading
Scanner – ‘Tis The Season
Again, a very Merry Christmas to friends and readers of this blog! We celebrate the day with the usual festive tunes, but add one extra courtesy of Robin Rimbaud (Scanner), who synths up a few seasonal classics.
Pete Swinton – The Book Of Chuang-Tzu, Ch. 18
Zhuang Zhou is the pinyin transliteration of Chuang Tzu, the Chinese taoist philospher who lived some time during the 4th century B.C. during the Warring States Period, and was part of a movement where Chinese philosophy enjoyed an explosive period of development. He is the subject of the album being Continue Reading
The Crossing – Carols after a Plague
I knew nothing about the band The Crossing, but after seeing that a composition by drummer Tyshawn Sorey was featured, I thought it prudent to listen to that track and then to the whole album. It is, unsurprisingly, a gorgeous, if dissonant, listening experience. From The Crossing’s Bandcamp site: “Throughout Continue Reading
Illusion of Safety & Z’ev – Illusion of Safety & Z’ev
This release, by No Part Of It Records, is a fine label putting out quality discs, and this archival album combines Dan Burke of Illusion of Safety and Z’ev, two of America’s foremost Industrial musicians. From the label’s Bandcamp site: “What we have here is a potent cocktail of scrap Continue Reading
Methuzelah (Jeff Gburek & Pete Swinton) – First Album
Today is an auspicious day, as I’m proud to say that this is the 700th consecutive post this blog has produced since January 1, 2021. The release is one I held onto for such an occasion, as Jeff Gburek, heavily featured on my site for the astounding quality of his Continue Reading
Niobe Poitier – Poemas Perdidos (To J. L. Borges)
Today’s wee sonic adventure comes from a Berlin-based composer called Niobe Poitier. What fascinated me about this release was that she was using the voice of my favorite author, Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges, his voice and his works as his source material. The feel of the tracks, especially The Continue Reading