Mixtape #76

You might have noticed our ever growing soft spot for the multi-instrumentalist Jherek Bischoff. A wonderfully talented and prolific musician, composer, arranger and producer, his numerous projects to date spans from prog rock to pop and classical music. Jherek's recently released album Cistern follows his debut, Composed, which swiftly made its way to our Album Picks of 2012. Rooted in ambient and modern classical music, Cistern is a profoundly beautiful and meditative orchestral album that will firmly tug at your heartstrings. So we're over the moon to unfold the mixtape he has lovingly assembled for CTD reflecting some of his extraordinary influences.


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Jherek Bischoff premieres video for ‘Cistern’

Jherek Bischoff - CisternWe have been wonderfully immersed in Cistern‘s majestic beauty and reverie ever since the album came out in July. The magnificent, poignant and contemplative title track was the first single to emerge, and as with every track in the album, Jherek Bischoff complemented it with a video. Over the course of two years, the prodigious multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer and filmmaker Jim Batt collected footage for the album documenting and filming in disparate landscapes all over the world. In Bischoff’s own words, he was subjected “to the harshest of elements in order to assemble the visual counterpoint to Cistern.”.
The video for ‘Cistern’ is a supercut edit of all the videos, featuring footage from eight different locations. Watch it below.


Cistern is out now via The Leaf Label.

Watch Jherek Bischoff’s video for ‘Automatism’ off new album Cistern

Jherek Bischoff - AutomatismFour years after Jherek Bischoff released his magnificent debut album Composed, which was a Pick of the year then and remains a favourite of ours to this day, the follow-up has finally arrived. Cistern, a profoundly beautiful and majestic album, came out a couple of weeks ago via The Leaf Label. Coinciding with its release, and marking his first UK show, the immensely talented multi-instrumentalist and composer launched the album last Tuesday at The Courtyard Theatre in London, accompanied by a string quartet in what was an incredibly special and sweaty show. Bischoff’s longtime friend and collaborator Amanda Palmer also took part in the show, joining him to perform material from their Strung Out In Heaven: A Bowie String Quartet Tribute EP as well as a few of her own songs. The two and a stellar slew of other musicians and guests will perform Bowie cover songs arranged for string quartet tomorrow at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms.
In more recent related news, Bischoff has shared a video for the album’s resplendent and poignant ‘Automatism’, directed by Jim Batt. Here it is.

Jherek Bischoff announces new album Cistern and shares title track

Jherek Bischoff - CisternThe immensely talented multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer Jherek Bischoff conquered our ears in 2012 with his magnificent debut album Composed, which was one of our Album Picks then.
We’re pleased to know he is ready to release a brand new album called Cistern. As the title suggests, Bischoff conceived the album in an empty two million gallon underground water tank, here he spent time improvising. Cistern reflects its inception space, which, according to the press release, “forced Bischoff to slow down, to reflect, to draw on his childhood growing up on a sailing boat – an unexpected journey of rediscovery, from the city back to the Pacific Ocean via the Cistern.”.
To bring the record to life, Bischoff has also enlisted the help of incredible New York ensemble Contemporaneous.

Cistern will see the light of day on July 15th via The Leaf Label. To get us enticed ahead of it, Bischoff has shared the majestic, poignant and introspective title track. Play it loud and on repeat.

Jherek Bischoff unveils video for ‘Eyes’ featuring David Byrne

David Byrne & Jherek Bischoff - Eyes

A year on from the release of Jherek Bischoff‘s magnificent debut album Composed, which was one of our Album Picks of 2012, we continue to be overwhelmed every time we play it.
The Seattle based songwriter, producer and composer has just unveiled a video for the album’s glorious opener ‘Eyes’ featuring David Byrne. Here it is.

Composed is out now in Europe via The Leaf Label and in North America via Brassland.