Flotation Device celebrates the 85th birthday of Steve Reich with a combination of new and vintage recordings, including three versions of one classic piece recently reworked for custom microtonal instruments. In this podcast we contemplate the origins of classic minimalism, trademark techniques like phasing, looping and gradual process, and consider Reich's influence in new albums by Laurent Fairon and Paul Paccione. We also sample Maurice Louca’s latest project mixing traditional Arab music with free improv and psych folk, and continue our farewell to Sylvano Bussotti with help from Roberto Fabbriciani’s new album and a fresh interpretation of a graphic score excerpted in this show photo collage—can you spot it?
Photos credits and annotated playlist with Comments.
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Flotation Device 2021-10-03: annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Steve Reich at 85 [0:00]
1. [1:30] Steve Reich: Piano Phase. From Early Works (Nonesuch, 1987) with Double Edge: Edmund Niemann, Nurit Tilles (pianos). NOTE: Composed 1967
2. [21:59] Maurice Louca: Saet El Hazz (The Luck Hour). From Saet El Hazz (Northern Spy/Sub Rosa, 2021) with Mazen Kerbaj (trumpet, electronics), Sharif Sehnaoui (guitar), Raed Yassin (double bass), Anthea Caddy (cello), Christine Kazaryan (harp), Khaled Yassine (percussion, gamelan), Maurice Louca (guitar)⠀
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SET 2: Process music [30:30]
1. [33:16] Steve Reich: Four Organs. From Works 1965–1995 (Nonesuch, 1997) with Bang on a Can: Michael Gordon, Lisa Moore, Mark Stewart, Evan Ziporyn (keyboards), James Preiss (maracas). NOTE: Composed 1970
2. [49:09] Steve Reich: Piano Phase (D*Note's Phased & Konfused mix). From Reich: Remixed (Nonecush, 1999) with D*Note
3. [54:17] Outro with Steve Reich: Music for 2 or More Pianos and Terry Riley: In C⠀
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SET 3: Many different trains [57:46]
1. [58:29] Paul Paccione: Tapestry Studies - 4. Invention, 7. March. From Music for Piano (Navona, 2021) with Jenny Perron (piano), Terry Solomonson (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2012
2. [1:00:50] Sylvano Bussotti: Autoritratto - esemplare per Roberto Fabbriciani. From Opere per flauto e percussioni (Tactus, 2021) with Roberto Fabbriciani (flutes), Jonathan Faralli (percussion), Emanuele Braca (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1992–97
3. [1:04:35] Steve Reich: Different Trains - 1. America—Before the war (excerpt). From Different Trains/Electric Counterpoint (Nonesuch, 1989) with Kronos Quartet: David Harrington, John Sherba (violins), Hank Dutt (viola), Joan Jeanrenaud (cello), Les Brockman (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1988
4. [1:10:57] Steve Reich: Different Trains - 2. Europe—During the war (excerpt). From American Music (Montaigne/Naïve, 2011) with Quatuor Diotima: Yun-Peng Zhao, Naaman Sluchin (violins), Franck Chevalier (viola), Pierre Morlet (cello)
5. [1:14:48] Steve Reich: Different Trains - 3. After the war (excerpts). From Different Trains, Triple Quartet, The Four Sections (Montaigne/naïve, 2004) with Orchestre National de Lyon, David Robertson (conductor). NOTE: Orchestra version 2001⠀
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SET 4: Loops then and now [1:19:36]
1. [1:24:06] Laurent Fairon: Bureau des longitudes. From Redivivus (Bandcamp, 2021) with Laurent Fairon (found sounds, samples, loops, sound collage, virtual synth)
2. [1:39:46] Steve Reich: Mallet Phase. From Steve Reich (Nexus, 2021) with Russell Hartenberger (mallets), Garry Kvistad (mallets, instrument design), Doug Romanow (recording engineer). NOTE: From Piano Phase (1967), arranged 1973 for marimbas by Reich and 2014 for custom just-intoned instruments by Garry Kvistad. For more information see https://www.drummingat50.com/2020/10/20/marimba-phase-mallet-phase/
3. [1:56:31] Outro with Steve Reich: It's Gonna Rain
Photo credits: Paul Paccione via American Composers Alliance, Nurit Tilles via Discogs, orthodox Steve Reich via the artist, unorthodox Steve Reich by Landry/Girouard, Laurent Fairon via the artist, Maurice Louca by Francesca Sara Cauli, Sylvano Bussotti by Roberto Masotti, Garry Kvistad and Russell Hartenberger by Bonnie Sheckter.