Mixtape #124

Quest Ensemble conquered our ears with their mesmerising and cinematic sound, pushing the boundaries of contemporary classical music by blending in elements of jazz and trad using improvisational techniques. Made up of Filipe Sousa (piano), Tara Franks (cello) and Preetha Narayanan (violin), the three Guildhall School of Music graduates have been performing and composing together for over 10 years. Participating in a slew of projects, from music education to commissions for dance and the visual arts, Quest Ensemble have also released two magnificent albums, 2014’s Footfall and last year’s The Other Side. So we're thrilled to start March with a stunning mix of tracks picked by the band, opening a window onto their musical world.

  1. Portico Quartet – Window Seat 00:00 [Real World Records / Society of Sound Music]
  2. Steve Reich, Daniel Hope, Simos Papanas, Kammerorchester Basel – Duet [Deutsche Grammophon] 03:14
  3. Punch Brothers – Passepied (Debussy) [Nonesuch] 07:59
  4. David Lang, Hilary Hahn, Cory Smythe 11.27
  5. Chris Gall, Bernhard Schimplesberger – New Life [GLM Music] 14:17
  6. Firefly Burning – Pioneer [Firefly Burning Records] 17:18
  7. Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin – Even For Me (Live) [GRP] 22.19
  8. Nik Bärtsch – Modul 4 25:26
  9. Fofoulah – Fighting Chance [Glitterbeat] 30.34
  10. Donnacha Dennehy, Nadia Sirota, Liam Byrne – Tessellatum – Part 1 [Bedroom Community] 32:20
  11. Fred Thomas – Fall, Leaves, Fall 35:01
  12. Tigran Hamasyan – Lilac [Nonesuch] 41.07
  13. Caroline Shaw – Limestone & Felt [Nonesuch / New Amsterdam Records] 45:10
  14. A Winged Victory fot the Sullen – Atomos VIII [Erased Tapes] 51:19
  15. Eric Whitacre, Eric Whitacre Singers – Sleep [Decca] 56:07
  16. Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou – Mother’s Love [Buda Musique] 61:36

Mixtape #99

A man of many talents, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Matt Calvert has been dazzling us for more than a decade with his trio Three Trapped Tigers and other projects and collaborations. Typewritten is his first solo outing, an all acoustic, electronic-inspired album out on October 12th. And we’re ecstatic to unveil this treat of a mixtape he put together for us this month.  

"I’ve made a mix of different acoustic music, keeping with the theme of my own album Typewritten.  There’s obviously too much amazing acoustic stuff to choose from - especially when I think of all the classical and jazz stuff I love - so I’ve included tracks that influenced that record (not tons, since most of the influences were electronic!), some cuts from the album itself, and other things I’ve either just discovered or always loved that maybe others are yet to stumble across.” - Matt Calvert

  1. Square Peg Round Hole – No.8 from Postludes for Bowed Vibraphone (by Elliot Cole)
  2. Lucia Cadotsch – Slow Hot Wind [Yellowbird]
  3. Claudia Quintet – Just Like Him [Cuneiform Records]
  4. Matt Calvert – 12051 [Truant]
  5. Julian Sartorius – Basel – Kleinlützel [Everest Records]
  6. Boris Berman – Sonata V (by John Cage) [Naxos]
  7. Dawn of Midi – Ymir [Erased Tapes]
  8. Matt Calvert – Ren [Truant]
  9. Final Fantasy – Song Song Song [Tomlab]
  10. Matt Calvert – Nothing to Envy [Truant]
  11. Alarm Will Sound – Gwely Mernans (Aphex Twin cover) [Cantaloupe Music]
  12. Kit Downes – Rings of Saturn [ECM Records]
  13. The Silk Road Ensemble – Playlist For An Extreme Occasion: Part One [Masterworks]
  14. Lewis Wright – Fire & Flow [Signum Records]
  15. Loney Dear – Durmoll [Polyvinyl / Something In Construction]
  16. Punch Brothers – All Ashore [Nonesuch]
  17. Ana Silvera – Pearls and Thieves [Gearbox]
  18. John McLaughlin – Follow Your Heart [Douglas]
  19. Aldo Ciccolini – Avant-dernières pensées: No 1. Idylle [EMI]
  20. Beck – Ramshackle [Geffen]