Goldmund - Sometimes (Western Vinyl, 2015)

This record is so good it inspired me to write my first post since June. It is sure to appear on some year end lists.

Keith Kenniff is an American composer, multi-instrumentalist, and electronic music producer. He makes ambient/electronic music under the moniker Helios, post-classical piano music under Goldmund, and is a composer for film, television, dance and performance art).

His "Goldmund" project has always been stellar, but he outdoes himself here. Ethereal and sparse piano compositions just do not get anymore lovely and moving than this. Theses pieces are utterly beautiful.

Stream on Soundcloud here: Goldmund - Sometimes

John Luther Adams - Become Ocean (Cantaloupe Music, 2014)

This is one of the most beautiful modern classical recordings I've had the privilege to hear. John Luther Adams composes lush, sparse and epic tales of our relationship with nature. This sounds simple, but the complexity of his musical narratives are stunning, and this is his finest work. In fact, for this piece, he just received the Pulitzer Prize for Music.

I recently discovered Adams on  Q2 Music's Meet The Composer podcast, a program that is beginning to feel essential for me. I encourage you to explore it for yourself.

Listen to folks getting all emotional about things here:



And stream the full piece here:



Or here:



Please visit his website for more information on other recordings as well: http://www.johnlutheradams.com/

Ryan Teague - Block Boundaries (Village Green, 2014)

I am absolutely in love with this record. I was going to write about it but I accidentally read Boomkat's review and realized it perfectly encapsulated all my thoughts regarding it:

"‘Block Boundaries’ is the new album from minimalist composer Ryan Teague, building on his previous releases for Type, Sonic Pieces, and current label Village Green. Inspired by the theme of Psychogeography, the record fuses acoustic instrumentation with electronic and processed material, taking the listener on a hallucinogenic Ballardian journey through from the thrumming urban activity of New York, Amsterdam and London. Brooding opener "Site & Situation" sets the tone with hypnotic guitar and mallet chimes, emotive cello swells and surging bass synth, 'Last Known Position' comes on like a lost Tangerine Dream jam session, spiraling arpeggios and oscillating pulses, while 'Liminal Space' introduces driving percussion around mesmeric synth pulses and a shimmering piano progression. Closer 'End Of The Line ' brings the journey to an end in an introspective mood - a wavering synth figure cut against wistful drone washes that fade into the distance. 'Block Boundaries' is a masterful achievement of melody, form and texture that rewards more with every captivated listen and will assuredly secure Ryan Teague's place alongside his acclaimed contemporaries such as Nils Frahm, Jon Hopkins, Emeralds and Hauschka."

Yeah, I don't know if you're a fan of J.G. Ballard's work but, for my money, ya just can't beat a "Ballardian" journey through anywhere.



Block Boundaries from Leona Kadijević on Vimeo.

Nils Frahm - Screws (Erased Tapes, 2012)

I'm welcoming autumn with this wonderfully melancholy piano album from a very gifted composer. In fact, I've listened to it a dozen times today.

 Just before it was released, Nils Frahm had broken his thumb. In the despair and fear that naturally came from such an incident, he set off to record a piece each night, before bed. Over the course of nine nights, with nine fingers, and a single microphone, he overcame the seemingly monumental setback, resulting in an improvisational opus of extraordinary beauty. These sparse and intimate portraits, spanning a mere twenty-eight minutes, are powerful, combining the spirit of Satie with some of the best new age piano recordings in the modern compositional canon.

Though he initially released the recording as a free download, not thinking it was worth much at all, he couldn't have been more wrong. I'm deeply moved by this half hour of troubled and beautiful sketches. I hope you will be too.

Below, I've also included some of his other work, so as to showcase his versatility. Be sure to watch the last video, "All Melody" to appreciate his electronic sensibility as well. Enjoy.

Demdike Stare - The Weight of Culture (Self-released, 2013) CS

One of the finest architects of modern experimental music, the duo of Miles Whittaker and Sean Canty, offers a sampling of crate digging tastes and its even far better than you'd expect.





http://www.discogs.com/Demdike-Stare-The-Weight-Of-Culture/release/4295738

R.I.P. Robert Ashley

I have a vivid memory of Dec. 26, 2000. It was a slow day at the record store so I decided to dig through a bin of $3 used cd's. The three I ended up taking home were life altering: Jim O'rourke's 'Bad Timing', Morton Feldman's 'Rothko Chapel' and Robert Ashley's 'Superior Seven/Tract'. The latter two I picked simply with a gut feeling due to the covers. I didn't expect that I would go home and listen to new favorite composers.

Robert Ashley was an American experimental composer. He reinvented opera and theatre by fusing electronics into the work. He was also a pioneer in audio synthesizer technology itself. He leaves behind quite a legacy with eleven operas and numerous films. Fans of modern minimal composition take note, especially you youngins' who dig Oneohtrix Point Never. You'll find that Daniel Lopatin is a big fan.

I urge you to investigate this vast and wonderful body of work. My favorites are below:

Gustav Mahler - Symphony No. 4 in G Major

I know I don't post enough about classical music on my blog but its not because I don't listen to it. My favorite pieces of music are all classical. The reason you don't read much about it here is because I don't understand it well enough to criticize or praise properly. I'm ignorant of most music that truly matters. My attempts at writing about jazz albums are poor enough as it is.

I've recently discovered this piece and am quite obsessed. I also found THIS  wonderful essay on the work over at Mahlerfest.org. If you're a classical person, you'll enjoy the essay. If you're not that nerdy, just listen to the piece I've provided here.

If anyone has a version they prefer more than this, please respond. I listened to the few that are on youtube and am sharing the one that works for me.

Tatsuya Nakatani & Shane Perlowin - Anatomy of a Moment (New Atlantis, 2013)

This is one helluva couple of musicians. They're hardworking, ever touring, ever recording, and literally subsisting on music itself. How rare true musicians are these days. Well, here I offer up two fine specimens, with a duo recording that has sneaked into my favorite releases of 2013.

I've seen Nakatani and Perlowin play before. The frenetic improvisational energy that I was familiar with has been replaced with something far more enjoyable. This record is a string of compositions that somehow navigate a field of busy and dense percussion experiments underneath pastoral and meditative yet tense guitar lines. The result is predominantly somber and contemplative pieces, flowing effortlessly one to the next, shifting through a spectrum of emotions, creating a quite engaging narrative. This is a fine example of a new direction in modern music, unaffected by environment or expectations. Truly innovative material.

Jozef van Wissem and Jim Jarmusch – Concerning the Entrance Into Eternity (Important, 2012)

I must admit, its been many years since I’ve been really pleased with a Jim Jarmusch film. I was an obsessive fan of his work in the 80′s and 90′s. From Stranger than Paradise all the way through Ghost Dog, I anticipated each release. Although I don’t care for his film work these days, I was excited to hear about his musical endeavors with the Dutch Lutist and composer, Jozef van Wissem.

Most might be surprised to hear that this is not Jarmusch’s first musical outing. It is a continuation of the work he did with Wissem on last year’s The Joy That Never Ends album. Not only that but he was keyboardist for the understandably ill-fated early 80′s New York art punk band “The Del-Byzanteens”. Knowing the latter, you may question his musical abilities, but due to his outstanding curating of his own film scores as well as ATP 2010, I do not.

Jozef van Wissem has been releasing albums for the past twelve years. He is known for a conceptual and minimal style of arcane and non-linear progressions that bridge a gap between 17th century ideas and the improvisational and cut and paste tactics of the now. Specializing in experimenting with Baroque and Renaissance forms, he somehow never compromises the traditional sound of the lute, and this is the most impressive aspect of his formula.

All that being said, how did he end up playing with Jim Jarmusch? Was it a marketing tactic or a stunt? Not in the least. Jarmusch is a competent and interesting minimal guitarist. The duo calmly work through five lengthy numbers on this record. Baroque sentiment, warm pastoral folk tomes, strong yet unspoken themes of meditation and even a track with the droning and distorted electric guitar weave a quilt of spirituality similar to the Zen ideas presented in Jarmusch’s classic film, Dead Man, yet, this time around, the Zen is replaced with a similarly subversive religious element, Gnosticism. Three titles are named after Christian mystic Emanuel Swedenborg’s work. In fact, the closing track contains a reading that seems to summarize all of the ideas they have instrumentally presented.

“He is hanging by his shiny arms, His heart an open wound. Set your eyes on the cross, Set your tongue to speak of his passion.”

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This article originally appeared at: Adequacy.net

Rachel Grimes - Book of Leaves (Karate Body, 2009)

Unforgettable band "The Rachel's" piano player herself, Rachel Grimes, offers us a full-length recording of solo works.
you'll know her distinguished sound within the first bar. This veteran of the iconic Classical / Rock crossover act retains the vibe of the band's earlier albums such as Selenography, my personal favorite.

This is not to be missed.

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Wojceich Kilar - The Ninth Gate OST (Silva America, 1999)

We probably all agree this wasn't the best outing Polanski ever had but maybe its one of the best for composer Wojceich Kilar.

Well known for scoring Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula" and Polanski's "The Pianist", he has achieved a well-deserved esteem for his trademark grinding basses and cellos, deeply romantic themes and minimalist chord progressions. As a part of the post-war Polish school of minor key mournfulness, its no surprise you'll hear similarities to Gorecki.

This score is very creepy but I feel its important to remind all that it cannot be listened to unless its in its entirety. Out of context, some of the pieces and their inherent repetitious qualities will go unnoticed and may even sound unappealing. Its best just to sit back, close your eyes and let the devil take hold.

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Igor Wakhevich - Docteur Faust (Pathe Marconi EMI, 1971)

OK, what the hell is this? It's good, I think....I think.
Doctor Faustus is a play based on the Faust story. Common themes are sin and affirmation and Satan. So with that in mind, needless to say this album is dark and scary in tone. “Docteur Faust” is almost set up like a surreal score for the play itself. This album is really pure progressive rock in it's most cluttered and abstract form. The smooth jammy grooves of early Pink Floyd are holding hands with the martial sounds of King Crimson and Stravinsky and they're walking along, yet keep on falling into puddles of Goblin goo. As this album is purposely composed as it is, it is a bit much in the way of never gaining any sort theme other than confusion and torment. Which, if that is what Igor Wakhevich was attempting to do, he has exceeded his goal. Seriously though, this album sounds like Satan's own martial symphony is playing while marching straight into the cave where several species of small fury animals are grooving with a Pict. This album is definitely worth checking out.

--Sean Dail

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Hans Wurman - Chopin a la Moog (RCA, 1970)

Machine electric composition via Moog of Chopin by way of Wurman. The horns have started turning. The fridge is getting louder. This 1970's release of Wurman's renditions of Romantic composer Frederic Chopin are performed on a classic Moog synthesizer and done fantastically well. The rest happens when you listen to it.


Ballad in G major Op 23

Etude in A-Flat Posth No 2

Etude in C Minor Op 10 No 12 (Revolutionary)

Etude in E Op 10 No 3

Etude in F-Minor Op 25 No 2

Etude in G-Sharp Minor Op 25 No 6

Mazurka in D Op 33 No 2

Polonaise in A Op 40 No1

Prelude in D-Flat Op 28 No 15

Waltz in A-Flat Op 34 No 1

Waltz in C-Sharp minor Op 64 No 2

Waltz in D-Flat Op 62 No1 (minute)

Waltz in E-Minor Op Prosth


Now noticed where you have haphazardly placed your doilies and remember how you spilled your favorite batch of eggnog and schnapps on the NES. Just remember, it was out of your control and bound to happen anyway. Enjoy

-- Sean Dail

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Morton Feldman - Rothko Chapel and Why Patterns? (1971, New Albion Records)

When in the presence of the paintings of Mark Rothko one becomes consumed in space, light and indefinable presences. This is what he called "the numinous" (transcendence and floating). Listening to the subtle and reverent worlds of solitude created by Morton Feldman could be referred to as the same notion.

"Rothko Chapel" was first performed in 1972 at the Rothko Chapel in Houston, built in 1971 to house the fourteen paintings commissioned by John and Dominique de Menil. The Menils then asked Feldman to write a piece for the painter, who had died in 1970. Feldman had been a friend of Rothko's and one can hear in the music. Feldman says, in the notes accompanying this recording, that "Rothko's imagery goes right to the edge of his canvas, and I wanted the same effect in the music -- that it should permeate the whole octagonal-shaped room and not be heard from a certain distance."

Feldman's music echoes the simplicity of Rothko's imagery. Both are definitively mid-century American avant-garde, from what is the most fertile period in U.S. artistic history, and both are unique but somehow there is a great deal more there than just paintings or a piece of music.

This is gorgeous composition that incorporates sound as equally important as the music. Droning lines of minimal instrumentation and intermittently placed haunting choral vocals.

"Why Patterns?" is an half hour piece that demonstrates a use of musical lines. One Its a trio consisting of flute, glockenspiel and piano. There are three series of patterns for each instrument, that are never actually synchronized and only begin to work together toward the end of the piece.

The musicians are representative of the best ensemble playing and emanate the brilliant and ethereal virtues of one of the greatest American composers. Feldman's work is tuly moving and enlightening.

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Or:

James Blackshaw - Sunshrine (2005)

The introduction of bells is reminiscent of an old Folkways Soto Zen Temple Ceremony album I just purchased. And this is a perfect meditative palette for Blackshaw's 12 string guitar virtuosity. These are lush and sedate yet complex arrangements of finger-picking magick. Its dizzying to follow. So dizzying, that once you stop trying to follow it, you'll find yourself lost in a trance.

Unlike some of his Tacoma-esque contemporaries, Blackshaw is a talented composer. John Fahey's influence is apparent but so is Phillip Glass', as the guitar and bells meander down a beautifully repetitive path. His path is visionary and adventurous but never harsh or dark.

Recommended if you enjoy morning coffee, weed or meditation.

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Or:

Gorecki - Symphony No. 3 "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs" (1976)

I honestly feel this is the saddest musical composition ever written. After listening for many year's I'm still not calloused to its beauty and power.

The piece consists of three movements written over three months in 1976. A solo soprano sings three different stories. A Polish lament of Mother Mary, a message written on the wall of a Gestapo cell during World War II, and a folk song of a mother searching for her son killed in the Silesian uprisings. The dominant themes of the symphony are mother and son and the separation war causes.

Polish culture is steeped in pain and suffering and when you listen to this piece you will feel all of it. Completely let yourself go while listening and you WILL be deeply moved.

This piece also marks a departure from Gorecki's dissonant characteristics toward a distinctly tonal direction. I find it interesting to recognize the influence he has had on Drone and Ambient artists with work created almost entirely from minimal tones. Much like Morton Feldman, Gorecki needs large amounts of space to focus your attention on the balance of sound and the lack of sound, both of which are integral aspects of the work.

My favorite version is by Conductor David Zinman with the London Sinfionetta, Dawn Upshaw solo Soprano.