Guitarists take the spotlight, with historical gems by Fred Frith and James Blood Ulmer combined with new explorations from Travis Reuter, Pablo Ribot and the double-guitar arsenal of the avant-rock band Ni. Bill Frisell returns for another selection from his and Wayne Horvitz’s new Naked City-era archival album, while Wukir Suryadi sends his custom pseudo-guitar through a digital looper. Teoniki Rożynek creates a similar effect using an ensemble of acoustic musicians armed with click tracks, while another young European, Elis Hallik, explores the ancient Greek elements with a sumptuous double-violin concerto. Jessika Kenney and Eyvind Kang fashion a more austere but equally spellbinding sound world redolent of Hildegard and Hafez. And a post-Berio trumpet Sequenza by Oliver Searle, plus a fun dive into Bernhard Lang’s glitchy new treatment of Burroughs and Dürrenmatt rounds out the playlist. Creative and improvised music with host Michael Schell, originally aired July 14, 2024.
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Flotation Device 2024-07-14: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Eccentric beats [0:00]
1. [1:08] Wukir Suryadi: Ancang-ancang. From Institutionalized Ritual (Volcanic Winds, 2024)
2. [9:02] Ni: Berdic. From Fol Naïs (Dur et Doux, 2023) with Anthony Béard, François Mignot (guitars), Benoit Lecomte (bass), Nicolas Bernollin (percussion), Stéphane Piot (recording engineer)
3. [16:27] Michael Jarrell: Sechs Augenblicke - 4. From Orchestral Works (BIS, 2023) with Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Pascal Rophé (conductor), Jiri Heger (recording engineer)
4. [17:47] Teoniki Rożynek: Float. From Sound Chronicle of the 2020 Warsaw Autumn (Polmic, 2022) with European Workshop for Contemporary Music, Rüdiger Bohn (conductor), Ewa Guziołek-Tubelewicz, Katarzyna Rakowiecka-Rojsza (recording engineers)
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SET 2: Guitars [27:58]
1. [31:49] Fred Frith: Out of Their Heads (on Locoweed). From Guitar Solos (Caroline, 1974) with Fred Frith (guitar, fuzz box), David Vorhaus (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded July 11–15, 1974 at Kaleidophon Studios, London
2. [40:03] Frank Wright: Blues for Albert Ayler - Part 5. From Blues for Albert Ayler (ESP-Disk', 1978) with Frank Wright (tenor saxophone, flute, vocals), James Blood Ulmer (guitar), Benny Wilson (double bass), Rashied Ali (drums). NOTE: Recorded live July 17, 1974 at Ali's Alley, New York
3. [47:07] Pablo Ribot: Type. From 8th Annual Report (Unexplained Sounds, 2022)
4. [48:34] Travis Reuter: Fast Louis. From Quintet Music (6153751 Records DK2, 2024) with Travis Reuter (guitar), Mark Shim (tenor sax), Peter Schlamb (vibraphone), Harish Raghavan (upright bass), Tyshawn Sorey (drums), Chris Benham (recording engineer, Big Orange Sheep)
5. [56:00] Outro with Fred Frith: Dawns
6. [1:01:04] Wayne Horvitz, Bill Frisell: Look Out for Hope/Desolation Theme (Pinocchio). From Live Forever, Vol. 3: Frankfurt, Knitting Factory 1989–1990 (Other Room, 2024) with Wayne Horvitz (piano, samplers, synthesizers, drum programming), Bill Frisell (guitar). NOTE: Recorded live January 28, 1989 at Frankfurt Art Rock Festival (Frankfurt Internationales Art Rock Festival). Compositions by Bill Frisell and Leigh Harline
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SET 3: Your brain is on fire [1:11:23]
1. [1:13:06] Oliver Searle: Sequenza for Solo Trumpet. From a cellar full of noise (The Night With…, 2022) with Tom Poulson (trumpet), Timothy Cooper, Matthew Whiteside (recording engineers)
2. [1:18:41] Bernhard Lang: Das Hirn (excerpts). From Voice and Ensemble (Kairos, 2024) with Sarah Maria Sun (soprano), Ensemble Proton Bern: Bettina Berger (flute), Martin Bliggenstorfer (oboe), Richard Haynes (clarinet), Elise Jacoberger (bassoon), Vera Schnider (harp), Coco Schwarz (piano), Maximilian Haft (violin), Jan-Filip Tupa (cello), Karel Valter (recording engineer). NOTE: Text by Friedrich Dürrenmatt
3. [1:26:35] Bernhard Lang: The Travel Agency is on Fire (excerpts). From Voice and Ensemble (Kairos, 2024) with Sarah Maria Sun (soprano), Soyuz 21: Sascha Armbruster (saxophone), Mats Scheidegger (electric guitar), Philipp Meier (synthesizer), João Carlos Pacheco (drums, percussion), Stéphanie Meyer (cello), Isaï Angst (sound design), Michael Krogmann (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2020. Texts cut up by William S. Burroughs
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SET 4: Elemental music [1:31:06]
1. [1:33:19] Elis Hallik: Stoicheia. From Born in Waves (Kairos, 2023) with Triin Ruubel, Juta Õunapuu-Mocanita (violins), Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Atvars Lakstīgala (conductor), Aili Jõeleht (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2015, concerto for two violins and string orchestra
2. [1:43:11] Jessika Kenney, Eyvind Kang: Azure. From Azure (Ideologic Organ, 2023) with Jessika Kenney (voice, shruti box), Eyvind Kang (viola d'amore), Mell Dettmer (recording engineer, Studio Soli)
3. [1:54:09] Outro with Hildegard von Bingen: O gloriosissimi lux (Rosa Lamoreaux, Hesperus)
Photo credits: Michael Jarrell by Maurice Weiss/Ostkreuz, Sequenza by Oliver Searle, James Blood Ulmer by OhWeh, Pablo Ribot via the artist, Ensemble Proton Bern (Vera Schnider, Richard Elliot Haynes, Coco Schwarz, Maximilian Haft, Elise Jacoberger, Jan-Filip Ťupa, Bettina Berger, Martin Bliggenstorfer) by Remo Ubezio, Elis Hallik by Krööt Tarkmeel, Teoniki Rożynek via the artist, Bernhard Lang by Astrid Kager, Naked City (Wayne Horvitz, John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Joey Baron, Fred Frith) by Timothy Greenfield Sanders, Travis Reuter via the artist, Eyvind Kang and Jessika Kenney via the artists, Wukir Suryadi by Alifarkat