In this rowdy podcast we sample two new massive box sets from Anthony Braxton, one devoted to his uncompromising “ZIM music”, the other to jazz/pop standards. We also practice counting to Pamela Z and Tom Johnson’s new albums, bid farewell to Yoshi Wada & happy birthday to Mark-Anthony Turnage, and partake in a compelling early quintet by Per Nørgård that’s just been recorded for the first time. The haunting sound worlds of Mark Andre (via a scratchy Arditti Quartet), Anna von Hausswolff (playing a meantone-tuned pipe organ) & Robert Gross (via Dan Lippel and 16 synths) round out the gentle part of the program.
Then it’s on to our final hour, wherein we fulfill the stereotype of modern music as dissonant cacophony. We start with an epic loop piece made by Pierre Henry in his final year, then get progressively rougher with Dead Iverson & Mark Trayle before ending with newly-unearthed Merzbow tracks that document his mid-90s transition from edgy musique concrète to full-on noise music.
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Annotated playlist for show #89
Intro and SET 1: Count with me [0:00]
1. [2:47] Pamela Z: Quatre Couches/Flare Stains. From A Secret Code (Neuma, 2021). NOTE: Quatre Couches was created in 2015, Flare Stains was created in 2010
2. [11:58] Tom Johnson: Counting to Seven - South Pacific. From Counting to Seven (New World, 2021) with Dedalus: Didier Aschour, Amélie Berson, Cyprien Busolini, Alessandra Giura Longo, Tom Johnson, Thierry Madiot, Fabrice Villard, Deborah Walker (voices and percussion), Benjamin Maumus (recording engineer)
3. [16:03] Yoshi Wada: Off The Wall II. From Off The Wall (Free Music Production, 1985, reissued 2016 by Saltern) with Yoshi Wada, Wayne Hankin (bagpipes), Marilyn Bogerd (adapted organ), Andreas Schmidt Neri (percussion), Jost Gebers (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded May 1984 in Berlin. Original liner notes written by Tom Johnson. A succinct obituary for Yoshi Wada (1943–2021) is at https://www.artforum.com/news/yoshi-wada-1943-2021-86078⠀
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SET 2: Untraditional Braxton [36:01]
1. [40:50] Mark-Anthony Turnage: Maya. From The Brandenburg Project (BIS, 2021) with Maya Beiser (cello), Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard (conductor), Bastian Schick (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2016
2. [55:17] Robert Gross: Chronicles No. 13. From Chronicles (New Focus, 2021) with Daniel Lippel (guitar), Robert Gross (bank of 16 Absynth 5 synthesizers), Ryan Streber (recording engineer)
3. [1:05:23] Anthony Braxton: Composition Nos. 412, 414 (excerpts). From 12 Comp (ZIM) 2017 (Firehouse 12, 2021) with Anthony Braxton (reeds), Taylor Ho Bynum (brass), Dan Peck (tuba), Jacquline Kerrod, Brandee Younger, Shelley Burgon (harps), Tomeka Reid (cello), Adam Matlock (accordion, aerophones), Stephanie Richards (trumpet), Ingrid Laubrock (saxophones), Greg DiCrosta, Nick Lloyd (recording engineers). NOTE: Recorded 2017 at La Sala Rossa, Montreal and Firehouse 12, New Haven. See Braxton's recent interview at https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/2021-anthony-braxton-interview-12-comp-zim-quartet-standards⠀
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SET 3: Traditional Braxton [1:24:14]
1. [1:29:03] Anthony Braxton Quartet: Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?. From Quartet (Standards) 2020 (New Braxton House, 2021) with Anthony Braxton (saxophones), Alexander Hawkins (piano), Neil Charles (bass), Stephen Davis (drums), Jon Rosenberg (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed by Frank Edwin Churchill (1901–1942)
2. [1:37:47] Per Nørgård: Kvintet, Op. 1 - 3. Poco lento, Allegro molto e con fuoco. From Singing Secrets (Dacapo, 2021) with Irena Kavčič (flute), Helge Slaatto (violin), Anette Slaatto (viola), John Ehde (cello), Erik Kaltoft (piano). NOTE: Composed 1952–53 as a hommage to Marc Chagall. First recording
3. [1:45:44] Anna von Hausswolff: Persefone. From All Thoughts Fly (Southern Lord, 2020) with Anna von Hausswolff (meantone organ). NOTE: A video accompanying this album is at https://youtu.be/1x11nd1Ft-4
4. [1:52:52] Mark Andre: iv 13 (Miniaturen) [excerpts]. From Musica Viva, Vol. 37 (BR Klassik, 2021) with Arditti String Quartet, Christiane Voitz (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2014–17. Recorded live at Musica Viva concert 6 July 2017, Herkulessaal der Residenz, Munich⠀
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SET 4: Compassionate noise music [2:02:39]
1. [2:08:58] Pierre Henry: Grand tremblement. From Galaxie (Decca France, 2021). NOTE: Realized 2017. Premiere recording
2. [2:30:41] Dead Iverson: Whistling Past Amazon HQ. From "WOKESCOLD" (Noise Discord, 2021) with Dead Iverson (modular, sampling, phone)
3. [2:34:15] Mark Trayle: Goldstripe 5. From Goldstripe (Creative Sources Recordings, 2007, reissued 2020 by a wave press). NOTE: Recorded 2007
4. [2:42:00] Merzbow: Tokyo Blue Sky II. From Scandal (Room40, 2021) with Akita Masami AKA Merzbow (construction field recordings, samples of ritual music). NOTE: Recorded 1995. Premiere release
5. [2:49:23] Merzbow: Evening Scandal II. From Scandal (Room40, 2021) with Akita Masami AKA Merzbow (construction field recordings, samples of ritual music). NOTE: Original version was "released in 1992 on RRR as part of their recycled music project; a project that sought to reuse thrown away cassettes, re-recording over them with various recordings including some of those heard here. The version collected here is different to that which was released in 1992, this version being uninterrupted by the pop song from which it borrows its name." -Room40. This is the premiere recording of this 1995 version
Photo credits: Per Nørgård by Lars Skaaning, Tom Johnson via the artist, Anthony Braxton by Edu Hawkins, Pamela Z by Mark Poucher, Merzbow by Erin Altomare, Mark Trayle via Roulette, Mark-Anthony Turnage via Boosey & Hawkes, Yoshi Wada via the artist, Anna von Hausswolff by smial, Mark Andre by Astrid Ackermann, Pierre Henry by Jean-Christophe Windland