Flotation Device presents major new releases by Kate Soper (a stage work based on the medieval Roman de la Rose) and Beat Furrer (a six-CD 70th birthday retrospective from Klangforum Wien), plus the first new Painkiller album in a quarter-century and the rediscovered stereo tape of Sun Ra's 1978 Baltimore performance memorialized in the film A Joyful Noise. We also hear Frank Zappa—unexpectedly—on acoustic guitar (through our 50 years ago in the avant-garde feature), while PAN Project offers newfangled East-meets-West and Éliane Radigue composes for Laetitia Sonami’s unique Spring Spyre. Fresh improv by the Thumbscrew trio and the Stemeseder Lillinger and Satako Fujii quartets, plus an improvisational-sounding piano composition by Gebhard Ullmann and a cameo by Anders Hillborg round out the playlist. Creative and improvised music with host Michael Schell.
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Flotation Device 2024-12-08: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Throwbacks [0:00]
1. [1:21] Painkiller: Samsara III. From Samsara (Tzadik, 2024) with John Zorn (alto saxophone), Bill Laswell (bass), Mick Harris (beats, electronics), James Dellatacoma (recording engineer)
2. [6:40] PAN Project: Shui Jiezou (Water Rhythm). From Borderless Flows (Neuma, 2024) with PAN Project Ensemble: Gamin (saenghwang), Ned Rothenberg (shakuhachi), Jeff Roberts (guqin, electronics, found objects), Woonjung Sim (Korean percussion)
3. [11:13] Sun Ra Arkestra: Thunder of Drums. From Lights on a Satellite: Live at the Left Bank (Resonance, 2024) with Sun Ra (keyboards), Marshall Allen (alto saxophone, flute, piccolo), John Gilmore (tenor saxophone, clarinet), Danny Davis (alto saxophone, flute), Danny Ray Thompson (baritone saxophone, flute), Eloe Omoe (alto saxophone, bass clarinet), Walter Miller (trumpet), Michael Ray (trumpet, vocal), Craig Harris (trombone), Dale Williams (guitar), Damon Choice (vibes), Richard Williams (Radu) (double bass, electric bass), Michael D. Anderson, Eddie Thomas (drums), Ataktune (congas), James Jacson (ancient infinity drum, bassoon), The Jingle Brothers (bells, percussion). NOTE: Recorded live July 23, 1978 at Left Bank Jazz Society, Famous Ballroom, Baltimore
4. [13:32] Sun Ra Arkestra: Tapestry from an Asteroid (excerpt). From Lights on a Satellite: Live at the Left Bank (credits as above)
5. [23:42] Sun Ra: Somewhere Over the Rainbow. From Lights on a Satellite: Live at the Left Bank (as above) with Sun Ra (piano). NOTE: Composition by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg
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SET 2: Furrer at 70 [26:35]
1. [29:58] Beat Furrer: Concerto for Clarinet. From Furrer 70 (Klangforum Wien, 2024) with Olivier Vivarès (clarinet), Klangforum Wien, Beat Furrer (conductor), Friedrich Trondl (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2019–20, premiere recording
2. [47:37] Beat Furrer: Invocation VI (excerpt). From Furrer 70 (as above) with Friederike Kühl (soprano), Vera Fischer (bass flute), Markus Wallner (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2003
3. [49:47] Beat Furrer: Retour an Dich - 2. From Furrer 70 (as above) with Annette Bik (violin), Andreas Lindenbaum (cello), Florian Müller (piano), Markus Wallner (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1986
4. [51:13] Beat Furrer: La bianca notte (excerpt). From Furrer 70 (as above) with Elina Viluma-Helling (soprano), Matias Bocchio (baritone), Klangforum Wien, Beat Furrer (conductor), Markus Wallner (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2013, premiere recording
5. [53:12] Outro with Anders Hillborg: Violin Concerto No. 2 (with Eldbjørg Hemsing, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen)
6. [58:50] Satoko Fujii Quartet: Not Together. From Dog Days of Summer (Libra, 2024) with Satoko Fujii Quartet: Natsuki Tamura (trumpet), Satoko Fujii (piano), Hayakawa Takeharu (bass), Tatsuya Yoshida (drums), Naoto Sugahara (recording engineer, Orpheus Recording Studios)
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SET 3: Dreamers then and now [1:04:36]
1. [1:06:15] Frank Zappa: Sleep Dirt. From Sleep Dirt (DiscReet, 1979) with Frank Zappa (acoustic lead), James Youman (acoustic rhythm), Kerry McNabb (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded December 1974
2. [1:09:36] Kate Soper: The Romance of the Rose, Act I (excerpts). From The Romance of the Rose (New Focus, 2024) with The Dreamer: Lucas Steele (tenor), The God of Love: Phillip Bullock (baritone), Lady Reason: Anna Schubert (soprano), Shame: Kate Soper (soprano), The Lover: Devony Smith (mezzo-soprano), Idleness: Ariadne Greif (soprano), Pleasure: Ty Bouque (baritone), Wet Ink Ensemble: Rane Moore (clarinets), Erin Rogers (saxophones), Josh Modney (violin, viola), Michael Nicolas (cello), James Moore (electric guitar), Jacqueline Kerrod (harp), Laura Barger (piano, keyboard), Ian Antonio (percussion), Sam Pluta (electronics), Eric Wubbels (conductor), Ryan Streber (recording engineer, Oktaven Audio)
3. [1:14:50] Kate Soper: The Romance of the Rose, Act II (excerpts). From The Romance of the Rose (credits as above)
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SET 4: New and exploratory [1:29:27]
1. [1:32:04] Thumbscrew: Wingbeats. From Wingbeats (Cuneiform, 2024) with Thumbscrew: Mary Halvorson (guitar), Michael Formanek (double bass), Tomas Fujiwara (drums, vibraphone), Aaron Nevezie (recording engineer, Bunker Studio). NOTE: Composition by Tomas Fujiwara
2. [1:36:50] Gebhard Ullmann: Impromptu #12. From Impromptus und Interationen (Kairos, 2024) with Vitalii Kyianytsia (piano), Tobias Ober (recording engineer)
3. [1:41:36] Stemeseder Lillinger Quartet: STKH, Dog (excerpts). From Umbra II (Intakt, 2024) with Peter Evans (trumpet, piccolo trumpet), Elias Stemeseder (piano, lautenwerk), Russell Hall (double bass), Christian Lillinger (drums), Lily Wen (recording engineer), Maureen Sickler (recording engineer)
4. [1:51:44] Outro with Éliane Radigue: Occam IX (with Laetitia Sonami)
Photo credits: Painkiller (John Zorn, Bill Laswell, Mick Harris) via the artists, Beat Furrer by Manu Theobald, Kate Soper: The Romance of the Rose by Julie Doucet, Umbra II (Elias Stemeseder, Russell Hall, Christian Lillinger, Peter Evans) by Maureen and Don Sickler, Sun Ra Arkestra at Left Bank Jazz Society by Robert Mugge, PAN Project (Gamin, Jeff Roberts, Woonjung Sim, Ned Rothenberg, Ying-Chieh Wang) by Kim Beaudet, Éliane Radigue with Spring Spyre by Laetitia Sonami, Thumbscrew (Michael Formanek, Mary Halvorson, Tomas Fujiwara) by Amy Touchette, Frank Zappa by Sam Emerson, Satoko Fujii Quartet (Natsuki Tamura, Tatsuya Yoshida, SF, Hayakawa Takeharu) by Kazue Yokoi and Naoto Sugahara, Anders Hillborg by Mats Lundqvist