by Andrew Frisicano

Burkina Electric

The annual Bang on a Can Marathon took over the World Financial Center Winter Garden Sunday, June 27th for 13 hours (one over the expected 12).

As evidenced in the pictures below, I only caught the last quarter or so of the night (it the was the same day as Gil Scott-Heron in Central Park). The day was packed with curiosity-provoking sets, like the US premiere of Fausto Romitelli's "Professor Bad Trip," performed by the Talea Ensemble...

Broken into three "lessons," the dense piece vividly communicated a kind of doomed atmosphere, beginning with sighing, deflating sounds pouring out of the winds and violins and pitched percussion nervously skittering, and later growing into thunderous sound from the full chamber orchestra. The highlight came in the second section, with a pained, growling cello solo played with impressive control by Chris Gross.

While Romitelli had his share of devotees, there was a clear sense of relief with the contrast Buke and Gass offered next. Playing their namesake baritone ukelele (buke) and guitar-bass hybrid (it's pronounced "gase"), and a drum with tambourines embedded, their emphatic, quirky brand of rock, enhanced by buke player Arone Dyer's pure folk-singer voice, was exactly what the crowd needed.
[NJ Star Ledger]

A focus toward the end seemed to be video projections, which accompanied the double bass loops of Florent Ghys, guitarist Tim Brady's wall of sound, and the night's final performance by Signal, Shelter, a piece composed by Bang on a Can heads Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe. Burkina Electric provided a late-evening burst of energy with West African dance music (they play Celebrate Brooklyn on July 8th and Central Park on July 25th).

Q2 will be broadcasting music from this year's Marathon in August (as will WNYC's New Sounds), so look out for that.

More pictures are below...

Continue reading "2010 Bang on a Can Marathon in pics (Burkina Electric, who play Summerstage & Celebrate Brooklyn, included)"

by Martin Longley

Like many other new music ensembles, Signal have the ability to shape their membership to the needs of each interpretation. Their recent performances of pieces by Steve Reich and Michael Gordon called for line-ups that were heavy on percussion or amplified guitars and keyboards. Sunday's selection of works by Philip Glass called for a more traditional spread.

Now, Signal's membership is pared down to a string orchestra form, the dancefloor of (le) Poisson Rouge arrayed with double basses, cellos, violas and violins. Signal are following their own precedent at the venue by taking up much of the club's space, and with a few more tables placed around the perimeter, there's even less room for an actual standing audience. Nevertheless, the joint looks packed once the tables are filled, with folks squeezed in front of the bar, their absolute silence falling with uncanny suddenness once conductor Brad Lubman takes his position. This is a very positive factor for the venue. Just before commencement, David Bowie's Hunky Dory album is strumming out of the speakers, the crowd chattering loudly. Then, a complete switch takes place within moments, as the audience snaps into concentration mode. This is the kind of musical schizophrenia that helps make the club a crucial addition to the scene, now fully established after nearly a year's innovative activity.

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Continue reading "Signal performed Philip Glass @ (le) Poisson Rouge"

by Andrew Frisicano

Darcy James Argue

New Amsterdam Records is putting on Undiscovered Islands, a month-long exhibition of work by label artists and friends at Brooklyn's Galapagos Art Space (16 Main St in DUMBO). The series' four Friday shows start May 8th. Tickets are on sale now.

The lineups include two record release shows: one for Darcy James Argue's Secret Society's Infernal Machines on Friday, May 8th; and another on May 15th for Nadia Sirota's first things first. Sirota will be appearing with the Chiara Quartet, itsnotyouitsme, Clarice Jensen, Nico Muhly and others.

Friday, May 22nd's show will feature ensemble Signal premiering Sarah Kirkland Snider's Penelope with Brad Lubman, Steven Mackey and Rachel Calloway, and So Percussion playing new works.

The final Undiscovered Islands of the month will feature NOW Ensemble and Abigail Fischer premiering Missy Mazzoli and Stephen Taylor's "Song from the Uproar" followed by a preview premiere performance of William Brittelle's Television Landscape on Friday, May 29th. New work Television Landscape is described in the release as "a fully-notated concept album that brings together the epic tradition of Pet Sounds, Purple Rain, and OK Computer with Brittelle's idiosyncratic... compositional style."

Continue reading "Undiscovered Islands - an 'indie' classical series in May @ Galapagos, Matmos in Princeton & more "

WNYC recorded the show.

The next advertised Wordless show is the Stars of the Lid one.