Vocalist Charmaine Lee’s New LP Speaks, Gargles, and Whimpers For Itself
The consistently fresh arc of "KNVF" offers a sense that it might have been recorded a hundred different ways—a testament to the value of being such a curious, permeable performer.
ReviewTAK Ensemble Reaches for the Cosmos
Taylor Brook’s "Star Maker Fragments" evoke the extraterrestrial.
ReviewHolland Andrews Phones It In
On the cusp of their EP release, the performance artist devises new ways of listening closely.
New MusicJudy Jackson’s "Superball" is a Robotic Dreamscape
In her robotic delivery over peppy electronics, Jackson, who records as Boule Goes Boing, invokes Laurie Anderson if she were narrating a children’s book. The effusive result manages to be at home both in a playroom and on the dance floor.
New MusicSea Change in “Ocean Body”
The physical action of showing up to experience "Ocean Body" promotes intentional hearing but with a caveat: knowing that you will never hear or see the whole picture.
Vocal MusicThrottling Transcendence and Intentional Unintelligibility in Liturgy’s "Origin of the Alimonies"
It was no coincidence that I spoke with Hunter Hunt-Hendrix about her latest Liturgy album, "Origin of the Alimonies", on the day of the Great Conjunction and the solstice. She felt that December 21 would set the tone perfectly for discussing her opera, and I am bound to agree.
New MusicNicholas Cords and The Importance Of Being Oneself
Here’s the thing about playing the viola — you have to find your own way. But a remarkable result can emerge from the restricted repertoire and unregulated nature of the instrument itself. Nicholas Cords utilized these conditions to create his latest album, "Touch Harmonious".
Anthony Tommasini and Virgil Thomson: The Threads That Connect Us All
Speaking with Anthony Tommasini about his relationship with his mentor composer/critic Virgil Thomson, I found myself three steps away from Stein, Stravinsky, Picasso, Copland, Sibelius and many others who felt more alive to me than they ever have.
Deep Dives“Something To Hunt” Is A Microcosm of Ash Fure’s Musical Macrocosm
Something To Hunt gives a glimpse into what Ash Fure is striving for as a composer; she can hear her muscles flexing.
Deep DivesThe Great Silence In Osvaldo Golijov's "Falling Out Of Time" For Silkroad Ensemble
Osvaldo Golijov's Falling Out Of Time for Silkroad Ensemble is a masterpiece as intellectually stimulating as it is emotionally gripping. It cracks open how we experience time and how this experience is disrupted by grief and eventually dismantled by death.
Inquiry
