This week we dive into Kate Gentile’s massive Find Letter X project, positioning it in the Braxtonian lineage that combines the highly-structured compositional techniques of Carter, Nancarrow and the spectralists with the improvisational traditions of jazz and rock. Live electronic music is another recurring theme, with Sylvie Courvoisier, Wadada Leo Smith, Roger Reynolds, Irvine Arditti and Yikii in the spotlight with new albums. Our 50 years ago in the avant-garde feature traces all this back to Stockhausen’s legendary live electronic ensemble, featured in its final recording which combines analog-era instruments and South Asian drumming.
We also revisit Daníel Bjarnason’s spatially-extended orchestral piece From Space I Saw Earth in its first studio recording, while Xiaoyong Chen offers East meets West, and the bands Ni and Mendoza Hoff Revels offer aggressive avant-fusion. A bit of John Cage rounds out the eclectic playlist.
Photo credits and annotated playlist with Comments.
