modern composition
SEE: Sarah Neufeld – ‘Stories’: Arcade Fire violinist reaches for the eternal
SUPPLYING the power of her violin to Arcade Fire from their breakthrough smash Neon Bible on; founding member of exploratory instrumental sextet Bell Orchestre, alongside Richard Parry, whose career has run contiguously with the former band; solo artist in her own right, Sarah Neufeld has her fingers in many Canadian musical pies. Initially releasing her …
TRACK: Balmorhea – ‘The Myth’: Texan duo reveal a first track from their forthcoming album for Deutsche Grammophon
BALMORHEA, the Texan duo of Rob Lowe and Michael A. Muller, whose particular take on the modern compositional form nods to the American West, have signed to Deutsche Grammophon for their seventh album, The Wind, which record will be out at the end of April. That The Wind should be released by Deutsche Grammophon, which …
TRACK: Hear Naoko Sakata’s ‘Improvisation 3’ – free piano expression leads for album for Anna von Hausswolff’s label
NAOKO SAKATA is a supremely free, expressive, elemental pianist, very much cheerful and thriving in the avant-garde end of the modern piano spectrum. Born in Japan, she’s now based in Gothenburg; whence she’s come to the attention of Anna von Hausswolff who, caught by her experimental incantation, is to release Sakata’s album on her own …
NEWS: Ólafur Arnalds announces details of short film, ‘When We Are Born’; watch the trailer
ICELAND’S modern compositional phenomenon Ólafur Arnalds has announced details of a new short film, entitled When We Are Born, which is set to premiere worldwide on March 7th. You can watch the trailer below. Directed by Vincent Moon, who’s worked with Arcade Fire and Bon Iver, When We Are Born is a creative live performance film that tells a …
TRACK: Vetle Nærø – ‘Waves’: 7K! sign excellent young Norwegian solo pianist
BERLIN’S 7K! imprint, the ambient and modern compositional flipside to legendary dance label !K7, has signed a really rather gorgeous new pianist talent, Denmark’s Vetle Nærø – and he really is a cut above the studious solo masses, his music coming from the heart and full of nuance and absolute appreciation. You can hear that …
SEE: Conrad Clipper – ‘Say The Name’: enveloping piano textures pave way for April album
CONRAD CLIPPER is the pseudonymous venture of a Berlin composer and multi-instrumentalist who has a focus on prepared, programmed and played piano. He is, as the prepared and programmed element to his pianist practice would suggest, and there’s a run of plosives, a bit of a favourite on BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction; presenters Verity …
News: Sony launches XXIM progressive instrumental imprint: see Eydís Evensen’s ‘Brotin’
SONY has decided to get itself a little of the modern compositional pie and to that end, has set up a new progressive instrumental label, XXIM Records; which has opened its catalogue by introducing its first signing, Icelandic pianist and composer Eydís Evensen. To mark the label’s launch, she’s released her debut single, “Brotin”, the …
TRACK: Magnus John Anderson -‘Elkhorn’: studio wizard steps out with modern compositional piano
ONE OF the sea changes we’re seeing from all this viral upheaval is the emergence of artists finding their own voice in order to create, whereas previously they might have been happy in a more collaborative set-up; or, indeed, were putting their sonic skills to the service of others in production, mastering, arrangement and other …
EP REVIEW: Clarice Jensen – ‘Anu Mosir’: a quarter-hour of deft cello and electronics
Anu Mosir is a gorgeous way to spend a quarter of an hour of your time. Put it on repeat, let it maybe move beyond a rudely fractional usage of your day
SEE: Mike Lazarev – ‘Out Of Time’: a beautiful new compositional voice
MIKE LAZAREV is a London-based, Kyiv-born composer with a real feel for the filmic. Leaving behind a country torn by political upheaval and persecution, he and his family moved to the USA – where he promptly fell out of love with the classical music he had been studying and performing since the age of 6. …