Source: Riparian Media.
Saman Shahi — Microlocking
The ever-curious output of award-winning Iranian-Canadian composer Saman Shahi covers everything from orchestral pieces to unique multicultural instrumentation, and from electronics to three operas. Where his 2020 debut album, the acclaimed Breathing In The Shadows (Leaf Music), demonstrated his prowess by serving up an ultra-diverse set of three song cycles, its follow-up Microlocking has a sharper sonic focus and showcases the composer’s singular ear for texture and rhythmic interplay. Microlocking is effectively a series of pieces for different instrumentations that blend minimalism, modernism, and microtonality, with traits that he connects back to his Iranian heritage. Featuring performances from keyboard trio junctQín (on six digital pianos, three of which are tuned up by a quarter-tone), People Places Records co-founder Andrew Noseworthy (guitar) and accordionist Matti Pulkki, the final track is a remix of the first, courtesy of Tehran-based electronic producer Behrooz Zandi (Amselcom Records).
Allen Ravenstine — Tyranny of Fiction
Allen Ravenstine’s turbulent futurism behind the synthesizer was a key ingredient in American post-punk innovators Pere Ubu’s distinctive sound. Follow his celebrated 2018 album Waiting for the Bomb, Ravenstine is launching his much-anticipated follow-up on Waveshaper Media—a series of four EPs collectively entitled The Tyranny of Fiction. Materializing as a pair of LPs with one EP per side, or as two double CD sets, these works continue to chronicle the approach unveiled on their predecessor.
Noam Bierstone — mountains move like clouds
Rather than trading in assertive attacks and torrents of vibrant rhythmic activity, the three works that make up the debut album of Montréal percussionist Noam Bierstone conjure rich and evocative environments consisting of elusive tones, metallic whispers, and fierce clangour. The disc features compositions by Hanna Hartman, Zeynep Toraman and Pierluigi Billone, the latter of whom Bierstone recorded for the Kairos imprint last year in his duo scapegoat. This album, Mani. Giacometti, was the winner of the prestigious Franco Abbiati prize. In addition to scapegoat, who has now toured on three continents, Bierstone is the co-founder of performance collective No Hay Banda, is a member of Architek Percussion, and has recorded with leading labels such as New Focus, Cantaloupe and NMC. In addition to acting as Bierstone’s first solo outing, mountains move like clouds also serves to unveil his new imprint, No Hay Discos.
Nick Storring — Newfoundout
While maintaining a similar methodology that uses acoustic and electromechanical instruments exclusively, it trades its predecessor’s cello-heavy quasi-orchestral sound for something that’s more elusive but also driving emphasizing wind and percussion instruments. It’s now available on CD and digitally from the amazing Slovak label mappa editions (whose catalogue—which features the likes of Sarah Hennies, Diatribes, Infant and other amazing artists—is something you should definitely).
Avant Music News 