Flotation Device greets 2023 with a bundle of new releases from all over the gamut of contemporary Western art music. John Zorn’s newest (and loudest) set of Bagatelles contrasts with a much gentler duet by Ingrid Laubrock and Andy Milne. A propulsive harpsichord composition by Misato Mochizuki and a relentless Tarkovsky-inspired jam from Dan Weiss’s trio offset the calmer, more static sound worlds of Rebecca Saunders and Sarah Davachi. Christopher Cerrone channels novelist Ben Lerner in a remarkable new chamber concerto for piano, while Uwalmassa and Climax Golden Twins meld local beats with global electronica. Our 50 years ago in the avant-garde feature zooms in on New Year’s Eve 1972 when two groups of rebellious improvisers performed simultaneous gigs in New York. And it’s Sun Ra who formally hails the turn of the year with a pop novelty from his early days.
Creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world. Annotated playlist and photo credits with Comments.
Global chart history
Top position held by this upload
Comments
Flotation Device 2023-01-01: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Bagatelles [0:00]
1. [1:38] John Zorn: Bagatelle #130. From John Zorn's Bagatelles Vol. 9 (Tzadik, 2022) with Asmodeus: Marc Ribot (guitar), Trevor Dunn (bass), Kenny Grohowski (drums), John Zorn (conductor), Marc Urselli (recording engineer)
2. [8:14] John Zorn: Bagatelle #137. From John Zorn's Bagatelles Vol. 12 (Tzadik, 2022) with Cleric: Nick Shellenberger (vocals, keyboards), Matt Hollenberg (guitar), Daniel Ephraim Kennedy (guitar, bass, recording engineer), Larry Kwartowitz (drums, percussion)
3. [11:21] Ingrid Laubrock, Andy Milne: Fragment. From Fragile (Intakt, 2022) with Ingrid Laubrock (tenor and soprano saxophone), Andy Milne (piano), Ryan Streber (recording engineer)
4. [15:52] Misato Mochizuki: Moebius-Ring. From Musickè: The Art of Muses, harpsichord music by contemporary female Composers (Brilliant Classics, 2022) with Luca Quintavalle (harpsichord)⠀
⠀
SET 2: The campfire suspended [29:06]
1. [32:22] Sun Ra, Alton Abraham: Happy New Year To You! From Singles (Strut, 2016) with The Qualities (Unidentified male vocal quartet), Sun Ra (harmonium), Unidentified musicians (guitar, bells, wood blocks). NOTE: Recorded c.1956
2. [34:10] John Zorn: Bagatelle #145. From John Zorn's Bagatelles Vol. 12 (credits as above)
3. [35:21] Climax Golden Twins: Campfire Syndrome. From Climax Golden Twins (Fire Breathing Turtle, 2022) with Min Yee, Matthew Ford, Climax Golden Twins: Robert Millis, Jeffery Taylor
4. [38:47] Christopher Cerrone: The Air Suspended. From The Air Suspended (New Focus), 2022) with Shai Wosner (piano), Pat Swoboda (bass), Argus Quartet: Clara Kim, Giancarlo Latta (violins), Maren Rothfritz (viola), Audrey Chen (cello), Mike Tierney, Ryan Streber, Seth Manchester (recording engineers)
5. [53:34] Outro with Christopher Cerrone: Why Was I Born Between Mirrors?
6. [59:06] Uwalmassa: Kabut Zaman. From Kabut Zaman (DIVISI62, 2022) with Uwalmassa: Harsya Wahono, Randy Pradipta, Pujangga Rahseta⠀
⠀
SET 3: New Year's Eve 1972 [1:04:28]
1. [1:07:14] Wadada Leo Smith: Manhattan Cycles. From Manhattan Cycles (India Navigation, 1973) with Revolutionary Ensemble: Leroy Jenkins (violin, viola), Sirone (bass), Jerome Cooper (drums, bugle, metal hoops, flute, tape recorder). NOTE: Recorded live December 31, 1972 at St. Marks Theater, New York
2. [1:15:32] Musica Elettronica Viva: Stop The War. From MEV 40 (New World, 2008) with Musica Elettronica Viva: Frederic Rzewski (piano), Alvin Curran (VCS3-Putney synthesizer, piccolo trumpet, mbira), Richard Teitelbaum (modular Moog synthesizer), Garrett List (trombone), Gregory Reeve (percussion), Karl Berger (marimbaphone). NOTE: Recorded live December 31, 1972 at WBAI, New York⠀
⠀
SET 4: Chill music for the open-eared [1:27:56]
1. [1:32:23] Dan Weiss: For Andrei Tarkovsky. From Dedication (Cygnus, 2022) with Jacob Sacks (piano), Thomas Morgan (bass), Dan Weiss (drums, tabla), Ron Saint Germain, Ryan Streber (recording engineers)
2. [1:40:50] Rebecca Saunders: void (excerpts). From Skin (NMC, 2022) with Christian Dierstein, Dirk Rothbrust (percussion), Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin (RSB), Enno Poppe (conductor), Christian Fischer (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2013–14
3. [1:43:30] Rebecca Saunders: Skin (excerpts). From Skin (NMC, 2022) with Juliet Fraser (soprano), Klangforum Wien, Bas Wiegers (conductor), Tim Archer (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2015–16
4. [1:48:58] Sarah Davachi: O World and the Clear Song (excerpt). From Two Sisters (Late Music, 2022) with Rebecca Lane (bass flutes)
5. [1:55:48] Outro with Sarah Davachi: Icon Studies II
Photo credits: Revolutionary Ensemble (Leroy Jenkins, Sirone, Jerome Cooper) by Harry Mittman, Rebecca Saunders by Astrid Ackermann, MEV (Frederic Rzewski, Richard Teitelbaum, Alvin Curran) via the artists, Sarah Davachi by Alex Waber, Andy Milne and Ingrid Laubrock by Caroline Mardok, John Zorn in MindFlux 2010, Misato Mochizuki by Yves Petit, Dan Weiss via the artist, Sun Ra via Strut Records, Climax Golden Twins (Jeffery Taylor, Robert Millis) via the artists, Christopher Cerrone by Jacob Blickenstaff, Uwalmassa via the artists.