Qasim Naqvi’s collection of chamber compositions set to be released next month

27 October 2015

We know and love Qasim Naqvi primarily as one-third of the tremendous avant-jazz ensemble Dawn Of Midi. But when he’s not rocking out on the drums with his trio, the Brooklyn-based percussionist and composer is involved in a plethora of other projects. Naqvi has produced and composed music for film, dance, theatre, and chamber ensembles, amongst many other ventures.
Preamble, a collection of short chamber works written by Naqvi and performed by the Contemporary Music Ensemble of NYU, under the direction of Jonathan Haas, is coming out next month via NNA Tapes. These compositions were originally commissioned by media artist Mariam Ghani, choreographer Erin Ellen Kelly, and the St. Louis Art Museum as a score to a film installation based on China Miéville’s novel The City & the City.
Here’s what Naqvi said about combining graphic notation with traditional notational forms in Preamble:

“Some of the graphic components deal with dynamics and expression, while others deal with duration and rhythm or ranges that are unique to the particular instruments in the ensemble. This symbolic language is fused into a more conventional style of notation. The conductor can let the ensemble go about their business or at any point, assert a different set of choices into the equation. With “Preamble,” I wanted to strike a balance. I wanted the element of chance but not total chance. The performers can make certain choices for themselves, based on the watchful impulses of the conductor.”

Take a listen to the magnificent ‘Children of the Drawer PT. 1’ and check out the teaser trailer straight after. And be sure to grab Preamble when it drops on November 13th.

Serbian folk hero-inspired book/album The Ecstasy and the Void: An Introduction to the Occult of Mulagi out this Friday

26 October 2015

We’re thrilled about the giant book/album release of The Ecstasy and the Void: An Introduction to the Occult of Mulagi. In the works for 20 years, it comes out this Friday October 30th through Publication Studios Guelph. The book compiles sayings, fragments of stories, and unearthed poems by the Serbian folk-hero Mulagi, depicted through illustrations done by 24 artists from around the world, including Jordan McKenzie of our long-time favourite band Elfin Saddle. In addition to the book, these illustrations come paired with an album by Scottish band The White Funz. According to the press release, the band “brought each artwork to life by travelling to different locations around the globe and recording on-site to capture the essence of each place and time”.

Coinciding with the release date, a launch party is taking place on October 30th at eBar in Guelph, Ontario and a second special release event will happen on November 14th at Open Sesame in Kitchener, Ontario.

The book will be available via the Publication Studio website as well as select art book outlets and if you’re quick you might get your hands on a limited edition golden cassette album.
To get you enticed, here’s one of the tracks The White Funz wrote to accompany one of the artworks, the utterly amazing ‘Transmissions From The Interior Of The Mulagi Nebulonic Cloud’.

Booker Stardrum announces debut solo album and shares first cut ‘Drim Dram’

26 October 2015

You may recognize Booker Stardrum from his stints in several bands – he plays with Landlady, Cloud Becomes Your Hand, VaVatican, People Get Ready and Future Wife, amongst many others. The talented drummer and percussionist’s most recent venture resulted in his debut solo album, Dance And, slated for a November 13th release via NNA Tapes.

“Approached from the mindset of sound art and modern composition as opposed to that of traditional rock and pop music”, describes the press release, “Dance And retains an atmosphere of intense experimentation where the multitude of sounds from the drum set are juxtaposed against each other in inventive and puzzling combinations.”

Dance And was recorded using an array of unorthodox techniques “to extract every ounce of texture and detail” from his full arsenal of prepared drum kits, cymbals, gongs, bells, resonant metals, and more.

Ahead of the album’s release, Booker Stardrum is making us salivate with the staggering trance-inducing single ‘Drim Dram’. The song comes with an accompanying kaleidoscopic video made by Jeremy Wiles-Young. Watch it now.

Kristian Harting unveils video for new single ‘Temporary Rooms’

23 October 2015

Last week Kristian Harting enticed us with ‘Ship Of Fools’, taken from his upcoming second album Summer Of Crush. As we get excitingly close to the album’s release, the Danish experimental singer/songwriter has let loose another wonderful single called ‘Temporary Rooms’. It comes with a fittingly beautiful video, created by Rich Williams. Watch it now.

Summer Of Crush is out on October 30th via Exile on Mainstream.

The Unspeakable Practices tease upcoming eponymous debut album with lead single ‘A Steadying Effect’

22 October 2015

Drummer extraordinaire and all-round genius multi-instrumentalist and composer John Colpitts aka Kid Millions (Oneida, People of the North, Man Forever, etc) has joined forces with writer Rick Moody, a founding member of The Wingdale Community Singers, for a new project called The Unspeakable Practices. The pair assembled a stellar cast of musicians to make up the band: experimental trumpet player Nate Wooley, bassists Brad Truax (ex-Spiritualized, Interpol) and Richard Hoffman (Sightings), guitarist Shahin Motia (Ex Models, Oneida), organ player David Grubbs (Squirrel Bait, Gastr Del Sol), and saxophone player Michael Foster.

Comes November 6th, The Unspeakable Practices will release their self-titled debut album via Joyful Noise.
Here’s what Moody had to say:

“It was really important to me to be reactive with respect to the amazing musicians I was working with. It was, in fact, important for me to be IN the band, not separate from the band. Another instrument in the orchestra, rather than something fused onto the music. Not lyrics in front, and music behind, but all one instrument.”

Ahead of the album’s release, The Unspeakable Practices have shared the lead single “A Steadying Effect”. Take a listen below.

Avec Le Soleil Sortant De Sa Bouche set to embark on first European tour this November

22 October 2015

Photo: Alex Pelchat

Avec Le Soleil Sortant De Sa Bouche’s fans in Europe can rejoice for they will be winging their way across the Atlantic to grace us with their experimental kraut-funk goodness. With a string of dates beginning in early November, including a London show on November 22nd at Birthdays, this will be first visit to the UK/Europe.

The Montreal based quartet released their debut album Zubberdust! last year, a glorious effort featuring two mind-blowing 20-minute pieces. “This is (mostly) instrumental rock that exuberantly succeeds in blending a primitivist, hypnotic energy with cerebral pleasures, seeding an addictive trail of sonic brain-candy throughout the mixes”, described the album’s blurb.

Here’s a couple of extraordinary cuts from the album, an excerpt of track ‘Super pastiche fantastique’ in the form of a video made by Charles Barabé and ‘Face à l’instant, Part 2‘. Take a look at all their dates straight after and don’t miss the chance to see them live.

Avec Le Soleil Sortant De Sa Bouche European Tour Dates:
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