Yoko Ono on Flotation Device? And Lou Reed? We hear from both in this episode as we revisit Ono’s Fluxus/Cagean origins with The Great Learning Orchestra's new traversal of her 1964 Grapefruit anthology of conceptual pieces. We compare it to the similarly Cage-derived lineage of noise music whence sprang Reed’s Metal Machine Music in 1975. Moving to the present day, the controversial Slovenian band Laibach puts its own avant-garde foot forward in an epic retelling of the Hassan-i Sabbah legend refracted through the lens of modern fascism. Less contentious are Reena Esmail’s solo violin piece Drishti, a scratchy new chamber piece by Ken Ueno and Roger Reynolds’s Varèsean octet Dionysus in its premiere recording. A first look at new albums by Steve Layton, Agustí Fernández and the Julius Hemphill Stringtet, plus a second (or third) look at the latest offerings from Matthew Shipp, Alex Paxton, Fred Frith’s Cosa Brava and the indefatigable Marshall Allen round out the proceedings.
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Flotation Device 2025-07-06: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: New and notable [0:00]
1. [1:58] Alex Paxton: Scrunchy Munchy, Kite (from Scrunchy Touch Sweetly to Fall (kite and finger run)). From Delicious (New Amsterdam, 2025) with Dreammusics Ensemble, Alex Paxton (recording engineer)
2. [6:14] Marshall Allen's Ghost Horizons: Stay Lifted. From Live in Philadelphia (Ars Nova Workshop, 2025) with Marshall Allen (alto saxophone, Casio VL-Tone, Steiner Crumar EVI), Elliott Levin (saxophone, flute), Michael Ray (trumpet, keyboard), DMHOTEP (electric guitar), Luke Stewart (double bass), Tchester Holmes (drums), Beau Gordon (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded live January 27, 2023 at Solar Myth, Philadelphia
3. [11:12] Julius Hemphill: Choo Choo. From The Hemphill Stringtet Plays the Music of Julius Hemphill (Out Of Your Head, 2025) with The Hemphill Stringtet: Curtis Stewart, Sam Bardfeld (violins), Stephanie Griffin (viola), Tomeka Reid (cello), Ryan Streber (recording engieer, Oktaven Audio)
4. [16:56] Roger Reynolds: Dionysus (excerpts). From The Promises of Darkness (Ekkozone/Métier/Divine Art, 2005) with Mathias Reumert Group: Hélène Navasse (flute), Natalie Harris, Elaine Ruby (clarinet alternating), Ola Nilsson (horn), László Molnár (trumpet), Christian Larsen, Jakob Sandberg (bass trombone alternating), Anders Bjerregaard (bass), Mads Kristoffer Hyldig (piano), Hebsgaard Andersen (percussion), Mathias Reumert (conductor), Sebastian Vinther Olsen (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1990, first recording
5. [23:55] Matthew Shipp: The Future is in the Past. From The Cosmic Piano (Cantaloupe, 2025) with Matthew Shipp (piano), Marc Urselli (recording engineer, EastSide Sound)
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SET 2: Lou Reed and Yoko Ono on Flotation Device? [29:12]
1. [33:56] Lou Reed: Metal Machine Music, Pt. 4 (excerpt). From Metal Machine Music (RCA, 1975) with Lou Reed (guitar), Bob Ludwig (recording engineer, three-speed Uher tape-recorder)
2. [37:28] Ken Ueno: Ghost Flowers (excerpts). From Adjacence (New Focus, 2024) with International Contemporary Ensemble: Wendy Richman (viola), Daniel Lippel (guitar), Nathan Davis (dulcimer), Ryan Streber (recording engineer, Oktaven Audio). NOTE: Composed 2016, premiere recording
3. [45:15] Yoko Ono: Pieces for Orchestra - No 2: Peek. From Selected Recordings from Grapefruit (Karlrecords, 2025) with The Great Learning Orchestra, Ricardo Atienza, Niklas Billström, Robin McGinley and Leif Jordansson (recording engineers)
4. [45:57] Yoko Ono: Overtone Piece. From Selected Recordings from Grapefruit (credits as above)
5. [50:14] Yoko Ono: Sweep Piece. From Selected Recordings from Grapefruit (credits as above)
6. [52:06] Yoko Ono: Wood Piece. From Selected Recordings from Grapefruit (credits as above)
7. [55:58] Yoko Ono: Pieces for Orchestra - No 3: Take Off. From Selected Recordings from Grapefruit (credits as above)
8. [56:39] Outro with Yoko Ono: Secret Piece
9. [1:00:38] Cosa Brava: Vivial. From Z Sides (Klanggalerie, 2024) with Fred Frith (guitar, bass guitar, voice), Carla Kihlstedt (violin, voice), Zeena Parkins (keyboards, voice), Shahzad Ismaily (bass guitar), Matthias Bossi (drums, voice), Norman Teale AKA The Norman Conquest (creative live sound)
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SET 3: Focused gaze [1:04:06]
1. [1:05:54] Agustí Fernández: Live in Glanegg - Part 1. From Aesthetic of Prisms (Fundacja Słuchaj, 2024) with Agustí Fernández (piano), Barry Guy (bass), Zlatko Kaučič (drums, percussion), Thomas Obergantsch (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded live July 8, 2023 at Burg Glanegg, Austria
2. [1:13:02] Steve Layton: Autumn Constellations. From Autumn Constellations (NiwoSound, 2024) with Steve Layton (Reason 13, Audacity 3, sample libraries)
3. [1:18:21] Reena Esmail: Drishti. From Ad Tendo (Bright Shiny Things, 2025) with Simone Porter (violin), Sergey Parfenov, Francesco Perlangeli (recording engineers). NOTE: Composed 2021, premiere recording
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SET 4: Mussolini meets Hasan al-Sabbah [1:32:26]
1. [1:36:10] Laibach: Alamut (excerpts). From Alamut (Mute, 2025) with Laibach, Human Voice Ensemble, Gallina Vocal Group, AccordiOna Accordion Orchestra, RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Navid Gohari (conductor). NOTE: Composed by Luka Jamnik (Laibach), Nima A. Rowshan and Idin Samimi Mofakham
2. [2:08:12] Outro with Strange Fruit (Laibach)
Photo credits: Matthew Shipp by Michael Wilderman, Laibach (Janez Gabrič, Luka Jamnik, Milan Fras, Marina Mårtensson, Jani Novak) via the artists, Julius Hemphill by Brian McMillen, Yoko Ono at Lisson Gallery 1967, Roger Reynolds by Malcolm Crowthers, Lou Reed by Keith Miller, Agustí Fernández via Jazz Music Archives, Reena Esmail via Community Musicworks, Marshall Allen with EVI by Elizabeth Robertson/Philadelphia Inquirer, Ken Ueno via UC Berkeley, Steve Layton via the artist, Alex Paxton by Jess Rose.
Flotation Device features creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world with host Michael Schell, Sunday nights 10pm–Midnight Pacific Time on 91.3 KBCS-FM Bellevue/Seattle/Tacoma. Visit us online at https://www.mixcloud.com/FlotationDevice.