Music
Reich: Pulse/Quartet by International Contemporary Ensemble & Colin Currie Group
People often remark that Steve Reich’s music can be an acquired taste, one only for those serious, modern-classical music listeners wanting to expand their horizons. As someone who has been firmly entrenched in the romantic orchestral style for most of…
Make Way for Love by Marlon Williams
Many moons ago, I was privileged enough to witness a very intimate gig at the sorely missed Pure Pop records in St Kilda by a then unknown, fresh-faced Kiwi ex-pat by the name of Marlon Williams. The lucky fifty or…
Blue Maqams by Anouar Brahem
Blue Maqams is the thirteenth release on ECM for Tunisian oud-master/composer Anouar Brahem. Brahem has achieved great success for the label with his ability as a crossover artist, taking his audience way beyond the jazz scene. His early career was…
Schubert: Piano Sonatas D959 & D960 by Krystian Zimerman
I think I need to be honest and say I’ve been on a bit of a Schubert bandwagon lately – though mostly his symphonic and chamber repertoire – so it was a delight to review this piano album. I started…
Lotta Sea Lice by Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile
‘I cherish my intercontinental friendships…’ Australian indie-rock sensation Courtney Barnett croons on ‘Continental Breakfast’ – moments later American spacey-rock sensation Kurt Vile adds, ‘Somewhere on the sphere around here.’ It’s a song that aptly transports the listener into the bond…
Il Diavolo by Accademia Arcadia
Many people know the story of the Devil’s Trill Sonata by Tartini. How he dreamed one night he made a pact with the devil, who took up Tartini’s violin and played ‘a sonata so wonderful and so beautiful, played with…
Splendid Harmony by L'arpa festante
The concept behind this album is very interesting. It’s not an homage to a person as such, it’s a homage to his legacy through his teaching. It features five different composers, all of whom learned from the early Baroque composer…
A Deeper Understanding by The War On Drugs
A Deeper Understanding is the fourth LP from Philadelphia sextet The War on Drugs, who prove again that they are artists of art-rock atmosphere. This album has been previewed largely via live studio sessions and under the corporate supervision of…
Sous l'empire d'Amour by Marie-Claude Chappuis and Luca Pianca
French musicologist Marin Mersenne (1588–1648) declared the French air de cour to be lacking the passion of Italian vocal music. ‘Our French musicians,’ he wrote, ‘are content to flatter the ear and to avail themselves of a perpetual sweetness in…
Life is Fine by Paul Kelly
‘When are you going to do a normal record?’ After five years of self-proclaimed, yet highly regarded ‘varied music’ (including last year’s dual releases of Shakespeare’s sonnets and funeral songs), Paul Kelly’s record company likely wondered if he would ever…
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