Flotation Device surveys new albums by Fred Frith, William Parker, Nakama, Horse Lords and the Art Ensemble of Chicago’s two surviving originators (who lead an ensemble that includes Moor Mother and Tomeka Reid). Alongside those standouts are three generations of electronic musicians: Sun Ra in his only recorded outing with a Prophet synthesizer, KMRU’s with his latest post-Kenyan ambient reflections, and François Bayle with an acousmatic adaptation of Dante’s Divine Comedy that's celebrating its 50th birthday. Also having its golden anniversary is George Crumb’s landmark work Makrokosmos I, which we revisit via an under-heralded recording by Bojan Gorišek. A miniature from organist Thomas Lacôte (Messiaen’s successor at Sainte-Trinité) and Germanic reflections on modernism and minimalism by Arnulf Herrmann and the late Heinz Winbeck round out the program. Creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world with host Michael Schell.
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Flotation Device 2023-02-05: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Power at last [0:00]
1. [1:08] Horse Lords: May Brigade. From Comradely Objects (RVNG, 2022) with Andrew Bernstein (saxophone, percussion, electronics), Max Eilbacher (bass, electronics), Owen Gardner (guitar, electronics), Sam Haberman (drums), Jared Paolini (recording engineer)
2. [7:42] Fred Frith, Susana Santos Silva: Laying Demons To Rest (excerpts). From Laying Demons To Rest (RogueArt, 2023) with Susana Santos Silva (trumpet), Fred Frith (electric guitar), Patrick Muller (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded live August 27th 2021 at Festival Météo, Motoco, Mulhouse, France
3. [17:31] Francisco Mela: Musical Literacy (radio edit). From Music Frees Our Souls, Vol. 2 (577, 2022) with Cooper-Moore (piano), William Parker (bass), Francisco Mela (drums), Jeremy Loucas (recording engineer)⠀
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SET 2: In the tradition [23:53]
1. [27:06] Roscoe Mitchell: Leola. From The Sixth Decade - From Paris to Paris (RogueArt, 2023) with Art Ensemble of Chicago: Roscoe Mitchell (sopranino and alto saxophones), Famoudou Don Moye (drums, percussion), Moor Mother (spoken word), Erina Newkirk (soprano), Roco Córdova (bass), Nicole Mitchell (flutes, piccolo), Hugh Ragin (trumpet, flugelhorn, Thai bells), Simon Sieger (trombone, tuba), Jean Cook (violin), Eddy Kwon (viola), Tomeka Reid (cello), Brett Carson (piano), Silvia Bolognesi, Junius Paul, Jaribu Shahid (double basses), Dudu Kouaté, Enoch Williamson, Babu Atiba, Doussou Touré (percussion), Steed Cowart (conductor), Olivier Gascoin (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded live February 7, 2020 at Festival Sons d’hiver, Maison des arts de Créteil, Créteil, France
2. [37:05] Nakama: Benign. From New World (Nakama, 2022) with Klaus Ellerhusen Holm (alto sax), Andreas Røysum (clarinet), Ayumi Tanaka (piano), Andreas Wildhagen (drums), Christian Meaas Svendsen (bass), Aksel Jensen (recording engineer). NOTE: Composition by Christian Meaas Svendsen
3. [47:07] Heinz Winbeck: String Quartet No. 1 (Tempi capricciosi) (excerpts). From Aus der Enge in die Weite (Genuin, 2022) with Leopold Mozart Quartet: Dace Salmina-Fritzen, Živa Ciglenečki (violins), Christian Döring (viola), Johannes Gutfleisch (cello), Bastian Schick (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1979, first recording
4. [55:16] Outro with Heinz Winbeck: String Quartet No. 2
5. [1:00:41] Sun Ra: The Embassy of the Living God (excerpts). From Crystal Spears (Evidence, 2000, reissued 2018 by Modern Harmonic) with Sun Ra (organ, Minimoog), Marshall Allen (oboe, alto sax), Danny Davis (alto sax), John Gilmore (tenor sax), Danny Ray Thompson (baritone sax, bongos), Eloe Omoe (bass clarinet, percussion), Akh Tal Ebah, Kwame Hadi (trumpet, percussion), Clifford Jarvis (drums), Atakatune, Odun (congas). NOTE: Recorded February 3, 1973 at Variety Recording Studio, New York⠀
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SET 3: Electronic music then and now [1:09:44]
1. [1:11:37] François Bayle: Divine Comédie - Purgatoire (excerpts). From 50 ans d'acousmatique (INA-GRM, 2012). NOTE: Realized 1972, premiered February 5, 1973 at Salle Récamier, Paris
2. [1:17:05] KMRU: resonant sharing. From Epoch (Seil, 2022) with Joseph Kamaru AKA KMRU
3. [1:21:52] Sun Ra: Prophet, The Prophet Returns (excerpts). From Prophet (Modern Harmonic, 2022) with Sun Ra (Prophet VS synthesizer, piano), Fred Adams (trumpet), Al Evans (flugelhorn), Tyrone Hill (trombone), Marshall Allen (alto saxophone, percussion), John Gilmore (tenor saxophone, percussion), Danny Ray Thompson (baritone saxophone, percussion), Eloe Omoe (bass clarinet, percussion), James Jacson (bassoon, Ancient Egyptian Infinity Lightning and Thunder Drum), Bruce Edwards (electric guitar), John Ore, Tyler Mitchell (bass), John Brown (drums), Atakatune (congas, percussion), Kent Wagner, Jimi Randolph, Sidney Burton (recording engineers). NOTE: Recorded August 25, 1986 at Mission Control Studios, Westford, MA⠀
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SET 4: 50 years ago in the avant-garde [1:28:33]
1. [1:31:51] Thomas Lacôte: Agencement-Rhizome. From Horizon (Cantate, 2023) with Wolfgang Kogert (organ), Ingo Schmidt-Lucas (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2004
2. [1:36:23] Arnulf Herrmann: 3 Gesänge am offenen Fenster - 1. still. From Musica Viva #41: Arnulf Herrmann (BR Klassik, 2023) with Anja Petersen (soprano), Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Stefan Asbury (conductor), Klemens Kamp (recording engineer)
3. [1:41:43] George Crumb: Makrokosmos I (excerpts). From Bojan Gorišek plays George Crumb 1 (Audiophile Classics, 1997) with Bojan Gorišek (piano), Matjaž Culiberg (recording engineer). NOTE: Premiered February 8, 1973 by David Burge at Colorado College, Colorado Springs
4. [1:55:30] Outro with George Crumb: Makrokosmos I - 1. Cancer
Photo credits: Thomas Lacôte by Caroline Doutre, Arnulf Herrmann via the artist, Fred Frith and Susana Santos Silva by Patrick Lambin, Art Ensemble of Chicago (Tomeka Reid, Roscoe Mitchell, Roco Córdova, Nicole Mitchell, Famoudou Don Moye, Moor Mother) by Michel Robert, Heinz Winbeck by Markus Hilbich, Nakama (Ayumi Tanaka, Klaus Ellerhusen Holm, Christian Meaas Svendsen, Andreas Wildhagen, Andreas Hoem Røysum) by Jan Tore Eriksen, Francisco Mela with Cooper-Moore and William Parker by Kenneth Jimenez, Sun Ra Shadows of Tomorrow by System D-128, Makrokosmos I by George Crumb, Horse Lords (Sam Haberman, Owen Gardner, Andrew Bernstein, Max Eilbacher) via the artists.