The "classical" music you buy from Boomkat (2010): a thread to discuss Sylvain Chauveau, Johann Johannsson, Peter Broderick, Olafur Arnalds and others

> Woah unexpected mental guitars on the last track of Olafur Arnald's Eulogy for Evolution.

mental guitars = industrial revolution

so anyway, pilfering the Type podcasts. and there's pme by Simon Scott, ex-ex-ex of slowdive. and there's a link to his blog. and there's an lp by him ('Navigare') and a link to Boomkat who gave it record of the week last october

http://typerecords.com/typecasts/9
http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=232012

is in a similar vein to the On record (in the way all ambient stuff sounds the same) but with tinges of the old slowdive sound (or am i imagining that?)

(typed in classical piano to amazon's mp3 downloads site. millions of hits. oh um)

What would you go for next, after "Landings"?

Either "Marking Time" or "Box of Birch", I guess. It's all good though.

On a piano bent, it's not exactly the same as this stuff, but if you don't know Chopin's Nocturnes, you should definitely check them out.

this week's boomkat recommendations (link should be good for future use too):

http://boomkat.com/genres/32/recommendations

the Minamo sounds nice from the samples (but i have more cheap Type records to check out first). the Owen Pallett is miss categorised i think, sounds more like the beach boys.

i also find there's some crossover with the Dark Ambient / Drone / Metal genre

http://boomkat.com/genres/137/recommendations

(the mp3 versions have samples of all tracks, not just the three they choose for the cds)

*Loving* On's Your Naked Ghost Comes Back At Night.

If you like Johann Johannsson you should investigate ... ? (contemporary or otherwise)

On's a bit bleak for my tastes. Where's the choons?

Palmless Prayer/Mass Murder Refrain by Mono & World's End Girlfriend is a bit Johannsonesque. Well it has violins anyway. Pretty miserablist though.

I have never heard of these composers. I assume they sound something like Satie informed by minimalism with subtle O'Rourke-ish electronic touches, with higher production values and lower standards of performance technique than most 'new music'? Which could be great or not, depending.

(Ha, OK, just noticed the Satie comparison.)

Thanks for the Skelton link!

Johann Johannsson & Greg Haines (?) live in London in May:
http://www.last.fm/event/1380575+Arctic+Circle+Presents+-+J%C3%B3hann+J%C3%B3hannsson+-+Greg+Haines

Hildur Gudnadottier's Without Sinking deserves a special mention.

(Any thoughts on her other releases? I haven't heard them).

this thread title cracks me up and is so otm

Do any of these artists get reviewed as "classical" music in anywhere other than the Wire? Do they get coverage in what might be described as "traditional" classical music magazines?

the actual boomkat category is 'classical / home listening / ambient' and it's pretty much a catch all for slow quiet stuff.

Do they get coverage in what might be described as "traditional" classical music magazines?

judging from a cursory search, not at all.

Never bought it myself, but I think that the BBC Music magazine (mostly classical, some jazz too) has Late Junction-type stuff in it (Late Junction being the one mainstream radio programme that plays this sorta stuff).

Nils Frahm added to the Johann Johannsson show.

Akira Rabelais has a new album coming out soon. Everyone should listen to Eisoptrophobia. Lovely, haunted reworkings of gorgeous piano pieces from the likes of Satie et al.

Frahm's The Bells sounded lovely earlier while cleaning the kitchen; Johannsson's Virdulegu forsetar sounding gorgeous now (possibly my favourite classical album ever, up there with my favourite albums of any genre); have also been enjoying Valgeir Sigurdsson's Draumalandid.

Anyone heard the Rachel Grimes album?

BTW, djh, thanks for starting this thread...hadn't heard Chauveau or Arnalds yet and grabbed a bunch of both. The Arnalds albums I got have rapidly become some of my favourites.

Anyone else picked up the newish Johannsson soundtrack to the film Varmints? Grabbed it on vinyl and ripped it to MP3 (guess the CD isn't out yet) but there seems to be some weird distortion that comes in on the last track of side one...not sure if that's part of the sound or whether my rip was bad...was perfectly clear up until that point. Either way, enjoyed the album.

the Varmints soundtrack turned up in today's boomkat newsletter (vinyl only until april it says) and actually goes by the snappy title "And In The Endless Pause There Came The Sound Of Bees"

samples here:
http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=245281

You can get Varmints on CD - it came out as a tour CD - I got my copy from Insound. It's being re-issued in the UK in April.

Free compilation that partly matches this thread's aesthetic here: http://jointhecircle.net/

nils frahm's wintermusik sounding fucking gorgeous right now (washing the dishes, glass of red on the go).

Want to echo the Richard Skelton love upthread - Landings is great. Maybe I just don't listen to enough of this sort of thing, but the strings on it sound fantastic, there's a really earthy resonance to them.

In the mood to buy a record in this genre ... Any suggestions?

One artist you may want to check out is Harold Budd - a lot of good albums dating back to the 70s, even. It varies a bit, from very piano-heavy to highly processed, so you'll want to preview them first I guess. I have a soft spot for Lovely Thunder and his collab with the Cocteau Twins, Moon and the Melodies but people often point to The White Arcades as a good starting point. (He also has some newer releases too which I'm somewhat less familiar with.)

Also you may want to check out one or more of Ryuichi Sakamoto's more recent works - I really like both BTTB and Playing the Piano for their simplicity and the nice balance between classical sensibilities and modern feel.

Have also been enjoying the Nils Frahm record Winter Musik.

Anyone go to any Bubbly Blue & Green events?

Also, yes, Winter Musik is excellent. I possibly like The Bells even more.

> Anyone go to any Bubbly Blue & Green events?

was at the Isan / Hauschka with Hildur Guðnadóttir on thursday. went for the laptop electronic (with added water driven percussion and splishy sploshy samples), stayed for the prepared piano and modified cello (surprisingly captivating).

another huge thumbs-up for Frahm's The Bells - this is great stuff

new olafur arnalds: http://www.erasedtapes.co.uk/ (though not really *getting it* so far)

The new Greg Haines is getting good reviews:
http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2010/03/greg-haines-until-the-point-of-hushed-support-sonic-pieces/

Hauschka, the prepared piano dude i mentioned upthread slightly, is in the latest morr mailout as gigging soon.

10.05.2010 — London (GB) — Barbican ( http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=10071 )
12.05.2010 — Cambridge (GB) — Junction
13.05.2010 — Bristol (GB) — St George
14.05.2010 — Oxford (GB) — Holywell Music Room
15.05.2010 — Manchester (GB) — Band On The Wall
16.05.2010 — Edinburgh (GB) — Roxy

also, isan's half of the Bubbly Blue And Green gig is available from their website: www.isan.co.uk (which is a bit off topic but...)

Nils Frahm in Oxford tomorrow!

So I can't make the Johann Johannson show in London on May 27, anyone want a ticket? £12.50, wot a bargain.

what's worth exploring on kning disk?

and were broderick and frahm the only "solo piano" releases on the label?

Hauschka very entertaining live.

bunch of stuff on Type Recordings, including Broderick's Float in the boomkat summer sale for £3.95:

http://www.boomkat.com/labels/?id=2582&format=cd

Have I missed anything?

Looking for suggestions for more stuff like Olafur Arnalds or like, say, Peter Broderick's Float - stuff that is maybe a touch less dissonant than stuff like Landings can be at times (though I love it too). Really need some more stuff that won't jangle the nerves at random intervals!

(Caveat: still want to stay away from new age cheeseorama.)

I have never heard of these composers. I assume they sound something like Satie informed by minimalism with subtle O'Rourke-ish electronic touches, with higher production values and lower standards of performance technique than most 'new music'? Which could be great or not, depending.

OTM

Pondering spending my Xmas Boomkat voucher on Third Eye Foundation's "The Dark" and Philip Jeck's "An Ark For The Listener" but do feel free to persuade me otherwise . . .

I really like max de wardener's music for detuned pianos played by kit downes, very light

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHvXYi3xMxQ
http://somekindofpeace.com

new, more minimalist than the previous, album from ólafur Arnalds, being streamed + some stuff on youtube (Q&A etc) planned in the coming hours as well

(so... at 8 PM (your time) it will start playing)

Anything new-ish to recommend? I have £20 to spend at Norman (sorry, Boomkat!)

I'd completely missed this until this evening:

https://angeledavid-guillou.bandcamp.com/album/a-question-of-angles

Even before the Moby album, Deutsche Grammophon seemed to be releasing some unexpected artists (Clark, Balmorhea etc).

I know it's only a small part of what they do but wondering if it can be tracked to anything?

I'd track it to the start of their ReComposed series back in 2009:
https://www.discogs.com/label/660411-Recomposed

Of course. I'd forgotten about them.

I was half wondering if there was one person commissioning these things, some of which seem great and some ... a bit less necessary.

Might be of interest?

"Dustin O'Halloran continues The Classical Takeover with his all-time favourite tunes."

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWXtBjoO4Thyy?si=bcb89bebbc7c482c&nd=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFRdoYfZYUY

Good, that. Ta.

There might be better threads for this (Fat Cat ones, I guess) but I'm going to put this here:

https://headphonecommute.com/2021/08/10/130701-a-20th-anniversary-mix/

Oh, dear God. Johannsson's "The Cause of Labour ..." sounds magnificent, tonight - but lots of other stuff, including some things I've missed (not heard/not bought).

that's a fantastic mix

Lubomyr Melnyk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr2ofP0Qof4

A Spotify playlist (an edit of a CD made for a holiday):

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2KXOjOAdxsaHdSZYgE4E9g

But, more, heard anything good recently??

15 disc François Bayle box set to go along with the Radigue and Parmegiani boxes ... oh go on then

https://boomkat.com/products/50-ans-d-acousmatique?fbclid=IwAR1ISsvByUMZVhngX4OG0g19njLWphM5OkekwspeEbS7bQq-3vdHYCdkdKE

Heard anything incredible? I'm in the mood to buy something Boomkat Classical.

Shilling for myself here djh, but I've got a record coming out on Sound in Silence soon which may fit the bill -

Preview link - https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0zjx6jy8ob32kto/AAChpnpsA1Ja4rZYov7V3dMta?dl=0

Ta - look forward to that later!

would Alison Cotton fit in this thread? plays viola, harmonium. droney. ned's a fan. has a dark folk tinge to it, especially when she sings.

maybe start here (largely because it is cheap)

https://bloxhamtapes.bandcamp.com/album/all-is-quiet-at-the-ancient-theatre

@Maresn3st, it worked! I liked the sustained tension - so I'm going to buy it when it comes out :)

Ah, thank you Stan!

Had wine and made a CD-R for a friend. Here it is as a Spotify playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7yBvydRPnLza5ijwEHKPC7

(Not my most thought-through playlist).

I reviewed five new CDs on the Another Timbre label. link

used to lurk in this fine thread quite a bit a couple of years ago

recently I thought of it again because I started to work on solo piano music that fits the thread title quite well, although with somewhat of a different twist than most of the other artists discussed here

well I just released my first piece and while technically not on boomkat just yet, I’m definitely planning to sell my album there eventually maybe next year or so :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpwN-QxJiGs

(feel free to ignore if this kind of shameful self-promotion is making you nauseous)

Weirdly missed this:

https://bleep.com/release/329892-cate-blanchett-hildur-gunadttir-tar

Enjoyed this - Elizabeth Alker on Radio 3 - Sacred Spaces

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001fx2s

Has there been anything good this year??

Didn't know where else to put these modern percussion ensemble pieces, but album title of the year for sure:
https://juliansartorius.bandcamp.com/album/rllrlrllrrlrlrlrllrlrlr?label=1968817536
Julian Sartorius - RLLRLRLLRRLRLRLRLLRLRLR

This video of one of the pieces is fantastic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ4HRiNTQC4