Posts Tagged: Flau

ACL 2023 ~ Top Ten Modern Composition

The year’s most beautiful music can be found here, from soft piano to soaring strings, humble ensemble to booming orchestra.  This was a banner year for modern composition, which even recruited one of the world’s biggest post-rock bands into its

ACL 2023 ~ Top Ten Modern Composition

The year’s most beautiful music can be found here, from soft piano to soaring strings, humble ensemble to booming orchestra.  This was a banner year for modern composition, which even recruited one of the world’s biggest post-rock bands into its

ACL 2023 ~ Top Ten Ambient

By our estimate, there was enough ambient music released in 2023 to fill every waking minute of every day.  How does one stand out in a genre that values slipping beneath the surface?  These ten artists found a way, whether

ACL 2023 ~ Top Ten Ambient

By our estimate, there was enough ambient music released in 2023 to fill every waking minute of every day.  How does one stand out in a genre that values slipping beneath the surface?  These ten artists found a way, whether

ACL 2023 ~ The Year’s Best Album Covers

How important are album covers?  While no one has the time to listen to all the new music being released, everyone has time to look through the covers.  In the old days, they would be on display at a music

ACL 2023 ~ The Year’s Best Album Covers

How important are album covers?  While no one has the time to listen to all the new music being released, everyone has time to look through the covers.  In the old days, they would be on display at a music

ACL 2023 ~ The Year’s Best Winter Music

At A Closer Listen, we make a clear distinction between winter music and music that is released in winter.  Winter music is evocative of the season and latitudes in which snow and ice take up permanent residence.  The catch is that some

ACL 2023 ~ The Year’s Best Winter Music

At A Closer Listen, we make a clear distinction between winter music and music that is released in winter.  Winter music is evocative of the season and latitudes in which snow and ice take up permanent residence.  The catch is that some

Cicada ~ Seeking the Sources of Streams

One of the highlights of the early year, Seeking the Sources of Streams sounds just like its title and its inspiration.  Piano notes sparkle like sunlight on water; strings swirl like eddies around stones.  The music sounds as cool and crisp as

Cicada ~ Seeking the Sources of Streams

One of the highlights of the early year, Seeking the Sources of Streams sounds just like its title and its inspiration.  Piano notes sparkle like sunlight on water; strings swirl like eddies around stones.  The music sounds as cool and crisp as

ACL 2022 ~ The Year’s Best Album Covers

Physical albums have never been harder to find.  So why are album covers more important than ever? The answer is simple: people shop for music online, and the first thing they see is the image.  While few people have the

ACL 2022 ~ The Year’s Best Album Covers

Physical albums have never been harder to find.  So why are album covers more important than ever? The answer is simple: people shop for music online, and the first thing they see is the image.  While few people have the

Henning Schmiedt ~ Piano Miniatures

This is a welcome return to ACL for Henning Schmiedt, who we last reviewed enthusiastically in 2017 for a collaboration with Christoph Berg. There’s a phrase from that review that stands out, ‘a feeling of playful innocence’, a feeling that

Henning Schmiedt ~ Piano Miniatures

This is a welcome return to ACL for Henning Schmiedt, who we last reviewed enthusiastically in 2017 for a collaboration with Christoph Berg. There’s a phrase from that review that stands out, ‘a feeling of playful innocence’, a feeling that

Motohiro Nakashima ~ Gathering the Light

How can an album sound like summer and winter at the same time?  Motohiro Nakashima has gathered the light in a manner that emulates tikkun olam, no matter the season.  This is exactly the sort of album we need right now:

Motohiro Nakashima ~ Gathering the Light

How can an album sound like summer and winter at the same time?  Motohiro Nakashima has gathered the light in a manner that emulates tikkun olam, no matter the season.  This is exactly the sort of album we need right now: