Category Archives: News

New music – Jozef van Wissem: The Devil Is A Fair Angel And The Serpent A Subtle Beast (Incunabulum Records)

Posted on by
Reply

by Ben Hogwood

Dutch lute player and composer Jozef Van Wissem has today shared a second track from his forthcoming album The Night Dwells in the Day, set for release on 19 January 2024 on Incunabulum Records.

Following the recent first single, The Call of the Deathbird featuring guest vocals from Hilary Woods, today he shares the album’s opening instrumental The Devil is a Fair Angel and the Serpent a Subtle Beast.

“The track grapples with the world as it moves on and all the dualism and dichotomies that follow” explains the artist. “It combines darkness and light, happy and sad at the same time”. You can listen below:

Published post no.2,023 – Tuesday 28 November 2023

New music – Martin Arnold: Flax (Another Timbre)

Posted on by
Reply

by Ben Hogwood

This intriguing piece, recorded for Another Timbre, is a sizeable structure of 79 minutes for solo piano by Canadian composer Martin Arnold. The piece was commissioned by pianist Philip Thomas on the back of the success of his box set of Morton Feldman piano music. Sadly Philip became very unwell shortly after commissioning the piece and is unable to play it. However, fellow Apartment House pianist Kerry Yong took on the project with Philip’s blessing, and has recorded it for Another Timbre.

Released on Friday 23 November, Flax can be heard in part on the Another Timbre bandcamp site – where it is also available for purchase:

Published post no.2,022 – Monday 27 November 2023

New music – Special Request: What Time Is Love? Sessions

Posted on by
Reply

by Ben Hogwood

If we know anything about Paul Woolford and his Special Request moniker, it is that he never stops giving. After a prodigious run of albums in 2021 he took his foot off the gas a little in terms of releasing records, but returns with the first in a run of four releases to show he’s been anything but idle.

This is not just any old release, either. With the blessing of The KLF he has reimagined and recast one of their biggest and most influential tunes, What Time Is Love? While remixing the original would surely be foolhardy stuff, Woolford has been far more imaginative. He takes his own spin on the original, putting it in the centre of a new album, around which orbits a number of tracks written and executed in respect to how The KLF were working at the time.

That means a contrast of out and out, acidic rave highs, and ambient dropout patches, where field recordings and relaxing textures combine to soothe the fevered brow. This being Paul Woolford, however, it’s not quite as simple as that – as you’ll find out when you listen.

Released today, the What Time Is Love? sessions are not to be missed – and will be reviewed in full on Arcana soon.

Published post no.2,018 – Thursday 23 November 2023

New music – Katharine Dain & Sam Armstrong: Forget This Night (7 Mountain Records)

Posted on by
Reply

by Ben Hogwood

Released on Friday 17 November, the second album from soprano Katharine Dain and pianist Sam Armstrong for 7 Mountain Records looks set to be every bit as captivating as the first.

You will be reading a lot more about this album soon on Arcana, as Forget This Night delves into seldom visited areas of the song repertoire. The featured composers are Lili Boulanger, Karol Szymanowski and Grażyna Bacewicz – with special emphasis on Lili’s song cycle Clairières dans le cieland, completed in 1914.

Over the course of our interview you will discover how the composers are connected not just in the deeply passionate source material but in their lives too.

For now, here is a preview of the album – and a link to listen on Spotify below:

Published post no.2,015 – Monday 20 November 2023

In appreciation – Maurice Bourgue

Posted on by
Reply

Recently we learned of the passing of a maestro of the oboe, the French instrumentalist and conductor Maurice Bourgue.

Bourgue was not just a cultured oboist – he led a wind octet in his own name and was a respected conductor, too. This playlist celebrates his primary art, with works by Albinoni, Schumann, Elliott Carter, Saint-Saëns and Poulenc:

Published post no.2,010 – Wednesday 15 November 2023