Toumani Diabaté and the London Symphony Orchestra Make Dreamlike Sounds on ‘Kôrôlén’
The appeal of Toumani Diabaté’s Kôrôlén is manifold. It features some of Mali’s finest musicians working with one of the world’s most versatile orchestras.
contemporary classical
MONO Bring the Heaviness on Stunning Live Set ‘Beyond the Past’
A live album commemorating the 20th anniversary of Japanese post-rock’s MONO shows this deservedly acclaimed band at the height of their powers.
Floating Points and Pharoah Sanders Create Experimental Electrojazz on ‘Promises’
Sparseness aside, there is an explosive energy lurking just under the surface of Floating Points and Pharoah Sanders’ Promises.
Pharoah Sanders and Floating Points Find Solace in Open Space on ‘Promises’
Perhaps it’s reverence for the power of the expansive that makes Floating Points and Pharoah Sanders such a dynamic combination on Promises, their breathtaking collaboration.
A Winged Victory for the Sullen Create Soaring and Contemplative Soundscapes on ‘Invisible Cities’
Commissioned to create music for a multimedia stage show, A Winged Victory for the Sullen delivered 13 breathtaking compositions that pull largely from their vast experiencing composing for film and television.
12 Compositions to Introduce You to Classical Music Post-1950
Classical and compositional music have continued to thrive in the 20th and 21st centuries, reaching new heights of dissonance and beauty.
Caroline Shaw Dissects Shape-Note Hymns, Water, and Heaven on ‘Narrow Sea’
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw enlists Sō Percussion, Dawn Upshaw, and Gilbert Kalish to perform her stunning new song cycle, Narrow Sea.
Tristan Perich’s ‘Drift Multiply’ Charts a New Course for the Fusion of Composition and Electronics
Tristan Perich's Drift Multiply is essential listening regardless of your tastes, the combination of violins and one-bit processors has never sounded so graceful.
Jazz Composer Maria Schneider Takes on the “Data Lords” in Song
Grammy-winning jazz composer Maria Schneider released Data Lords partly as a reaction to her outrage that streaming music services are harvesting the data of listeners even as they pay musicians so little that creativity is at risk. She speaks with us about the project.
Nate “Rocket” Wonder and Roman GianArthur Score the New Janelle Monáe Film ‘Antebellum’
Nate "Rocket" Wonder and Roman GianArthur composed a thrilling neo-classical score for Janelle Monáe's new film, Antebellum. Hear the dramatic "Opening" of the soundtrack.
Less Bells Offer Poignant Post-Classical Ruminations on ‘Mourning Jewelry’
Less Bells' Mourning Jewelry is not light music in the sense of weight, but it might be light in the sense of brightness or contrast. It's an engaging little series of tropes about loss and processes of grieving.