Electronic

  • Speaker Music – Of Desire, Longing

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    It’s sometimes said that artists who choose a December release date do so at the expense of their showing up on best-of-the-year lists. While it’s true that the reverse can be argued, DeForrest Brown, Jr. need not worry about timing. He’s produced one of 2019’s most exceptional records, under the name Speaker Music. Exceptional not…

  • Toronto Sound Festival

    If you’re here in Toronto at the end of November, don’t miss this year’s Toronto Sound Festival at Beverley Halls. The event combines seminars, a composer’s panel, workshops, live music and more. I spoke with two of the event’s organizers this evening. Paul Stillwell, who is also a member of the Canadian Electronic Ensemble, says…

  • Cares – Control Isn’t Real

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    James Beardmore has produced what may be the best Cares recording to date. Control Isn’t Real lands Nov. 8. This one feels like a step forward for Cares. The sound is crisper, a bit bigger. What’s your take? Thank you. I wanted to take the sound further by focusing on space and dynamics and I…

  • Hecker – Inspection II / Pip – Possible Worlds

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    A pair of extraordinary 60-plus-minute works dropped last week. Like a lot of lengthy pieces, both are immersive listening experiences that are memorable for more than just their running time. The similarities end there however. It’s difficult to imagine two recordings, released on the same day, less alike than this pair. Florian Hecker’s Inspection II…

  • Various Artists – On Corrosion

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    Full marks to The Helen Scarsdale Agency for its decision to celebrate release #50 with a 10-cassette package housed in this handsome wooden box. We’ve seen a number of labels celebrate landmark releases with compilations, collaborations and so forth. This one outdoes them all. The package features work by Alice Kemp, Fossil Aerosol Mining Project,…

  • Jean-Philippe Gross – Curling and Reflex

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    September is a month for celebrating industriousness. In the northern hemisphere, summer is drawing to a close. Our children have returned to school and workplaces buzz with preparations for another year-end. French composer Jean-Philippe Gross is making more than his share of contributions to all of this. He has produced two new albums, and launched…