Category Archives: Modern Composition
Danny Mulhern ~ Singing Through Others
We are not machines, but we are surrounded by them. We’re an ancient species who have surrounded ourselves with technology too complex for most of us to understand. Our society has embraced burnout-inducing narratives that coerce us into thinking we
Danny Mulhern ~ Singing Through Others
We are not machines, but we are surrounded by them. We’re an ancient species who have surrounded ourselves with technology too complex for most of us to understand. Our society has embraced burnout-inducing narratives that coerce us into thinking we
Fall Music Preview ~ Modern Composition
The elegant hues of modern composition make the genre a perfect match for fall. Orchestras bloom like full-spectrum trees; piano notes fall like individual leaves. As ambassadors to the moss and dirt, these leaves nourish the next generation. The songs
Fall Music Preview ~ Modern Composition
The elegant hues of modern composition make the genre a perfect match for fall. Orchestras bloom like full-spectrum trees; piano notes fall like individual leaves. As ambassadors to the moss and dirt, these leaves nourish the next generation. The songs
Copenhagen Clarinet Choir ~ Organism
Groups of instrumentalists face a challenge that soloists do not, in that each member must constantly adapt and respond to the others’ pitch, tempo and timbre. Ensembles of varying natures have different ways of staying cohesive; an orchestra follows their
Copenhagen Clarinet Choir ~ Organism
Groups of instrumentalists face a challenge that soloists do not, in that each member must constantly adapt and respond to the others’ pitch, tempo and timbre. Ensembles of varying natures have different ways of staying cohesive; an orchestra follows their
Matt Ulery ~ Become Giant
After a dozen albums, bassist Matt Ulery is still stretching his boundaries. For the first few minutes of Become Giant, one doesn’t even hear him, focusing instead on the strings. Violinist Zach Brock and Chicago’s KAIA String Quartet are the guest stars on
Matt Ulery ~ Become Giant
After a dozen albums, bassist Matt Ulery is still stretching his boundaries. For the first few minutes of Become Giant, one doesn’t even hear him, focusing instead on the strings. Violinist Zach Brock and Chicago’s KAIA String Quartet are the guest stars on
BP Moore ~ The Practice of Suffering & Monaro
If albums are novels, EPs are short stories: a good one is concise and its meaning clear as glass. Here are two short EPs by multi-instrumentalist and composer BP Moore, whose gorgeous 2021 album If I Don’t See You Again and its equally compelling 2022 reworks collection have previously caught our attention. These two EPs are ostensibly on different themes, but there’s a thread that runs through both: self-discovery and acceptance.
BP Moore ~ The Practice of Suffering & Monaro
If albums are novels, EPs are short stories: a good one is concise and its meaning clear as glass. Here are two short EPs by multi-instrumentalist and composer BP Moore, whose gorgeous 2021 album If I Don’t See You Again and its equally compelling 2022 reworks collection have previously caught our attention. These two EPs are ostensibly on different themes, but there’s a thread that runs through both: self-discovery and acceptance.
Gabríel Ólafs ~ Solon Islandus
What’s the next step for an artist after becoming a teenaged global phenomenon? For Gabríel Ólafs, the answer is to become a grown-up global phenomenon. This was also the path taken by Ólafur Arnalds, and we suspect his younger Icelandic
Gabríel Ólafs ~ Solon Islandus
What’s the next step for an artist after becoming a teenaged global phenomenon? For Gabríel Ólafs, the answer is to become a grown-up global phenomenon. This was also the path taken by Ólafur Arnalds, and we suspect his younger Icelandic
Black Oak Ensemble ~ Avant l’orage: French String Trios, 1926-1939
We don’t tend to focus much on historical music here on ACL, but this album is a timely treat. Aside from the fact that the centenary of many of these pieces is coming up, many of us have been aware of parallels between the 1920s and ’30s and today. It’s a welcome opportunity to travel back to a distant yet curiously close time.
Black Oak Ensemble ~ Avant l’orage: French String Trios, 1926-1939
We don’t tend to focus much on historical music here on ACL, but this album is a timely treat. Aside from the fact that the centenary of many of these pieces is coming up, many of us have been aware of parallels between the 1920s and ’30s and today. It’s a welcome opportunity to travel back to a distant yet curiously close time.
zmi – Piano Diary
The opening of this utterly beguiling album is a pure expression of the joy of music making. Right from the very first gently whirling arpeggios, the soul can’t help but sing along. The melodies are glorious, perfectly encapsulating the emotion
zmi – Piano Diary
The opening of this utterly beguiling album is a pure expression of the joy of music making. Right from the very first gently whirling arpeggios, the soul can’t help but sing along. The melodies are glorious, perfectly encapsulating the emotion
a closer listen 