Atop this celebration of premiere recordings is Ukraine’s most famous composer, Valentin Silvestrov, and his Eighth Symphony, unveiled in Kyiv in 2015 where its gloomy nostalgia now seems prophetic. Henry Threadgill showcases his curatorial side in a forthcoming 13-CD snapshot of Downtown free improv praxis that we preview with help from Harriet Tubman the band. Unexplained Sounds Group debuts its own collection of music inspired by David Lynch’s Eraserhead, and if you haven’t been to Georges Lentz’s new Sound Chapel in the Australian outback, we’ll give you a taste of its looped music alongside his apocalyptic violin concerto. Joane Hétu represents Montreal’s vibrant French-speaking avant-garde, while Nick Didkovsky pays homage to Larry Polansky, and creative music stalwarts Ingrid Laubrock, Marilyn Crispell and Dan Weiss explore new surroundings. Sylvie Courvoisier’s prepared piano and Brooks Williams’ AI-generated piano round out the proceedings.
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Flotation Device 2025-07-13: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: New things in English and French [0:00]
1. [1:42] Harriet Tubman: The Shaman's Black Book. From Baker's Dozen: Apéritif (Cantaloupe, 2025) with Harriet Tubman: Brandon Ross (electric guitar), Melvin Gibbs (electric bass), JT Lewis (drums), Aaron Spencer (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded November 22, 2020 at The Boiler Room, Brooklyn
2. [8:25] Joane Hétu: Elle n'a pas de mot. From Elle a son mot à dire (Ambiances Magnétiques, 2025) with Ensemble SuperMusique: Sarah Albu (voice), Émilie Fortin, Julie Houle, Luzio Altobelli, Noam Bierstone, Michel F Côté (voice, whirly tube), Joane Hétu (conductor), Bernard Grenon (recording engineer)
3. [11:30] Joane Hétu: Avoir le motton. From Elle a son mot à dire (as above) with Ensemble SuperMusique: Sarah Albu (voice), Émilie Fortin (trumpet), Noam Bierstone (percussion), Joane Hétu (alto saxophone, conductor), Bernard Grenon (recording engineer)
4. [16:00] Nick Didkovsky: Pre-Crystallization (God and Corpse). From Profane Riddles (Punos, 2025) with Nick Didkovsky (electric guitar)
5. [19:17] Adi Newton: Contra Ciel II. From The Eraserhead: Music Inspired by the Film of David Lynch (Unexplained Sounds, 2025)
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SET 2: Improvised and recycled [26:17]
1. [29:41] Dan Weiss Quartet: Holotype. From Unclassified Affections (Pi, 2025) with Peter Evans (trumpet), Patricia Brennan (vibraphone), Miles Okazaki (guitar), Dan Weiss (drums), Marc Urselli (recording engineer, EastSide Sound)
2. [37:08] Crispell/Andersson/Østergaard: Into the Light. From The Cave (ILK, 2025) with Marilyn Crispell (piano), Thommy Andersson (bass), Michala Østergaard-Nielsen (vibraphonette), Rasmus Glendorf (recording engineer, The Village Recording)
3. [42:57] Georges Lentz: from "String Quartet(s)" [excerpts]. From from "String Quartet(s)" (Kairos, 2025) with Noise String Quartet: Véronique Serret, Mirabai Peart (violins), James Eccles (viola), Oliver Miller (cello), Georges Lentz (recording engineer)
4. [50:52] Outro with Georges Lentz: …to beam in distant heavens… (Arabella Steinbacher, Luxembourg Philharmonic, Gustavo Gimeno)
5. [1:01:05] Sylvie Courvoisier: Scooting (for Olivier Messiaen). From To Be Other-Wise (Intakt, 2024) with Sylvie Courvoisier (prepared piano), Manfred Seiler, Manuel Braun (recording engineers)
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SET 3: Real and simulated [1:04:27]
1. [1:05:49] Brooks Williams: Sgt. Friday. From Abstract Art (Harmonic Ranch, 2024) with Brooks Williams (AI modelled instruments Ableton Live, Pro Tools, VCV Rack)
2. [1:07:09] Jose Davila, Ingrid Laubrock & Tom Rainey: Badinage No. 3. From Baker's Dozen: Apéritif (as above) with Ingrid Laubrock (soprano and tenor saxophone), Jose Davila (tuba), Tom Rainey (drums), Christopher Hoffman (recording engineer, Brasher Studio). NOTE: Recorded live February 10, 2022 for Arts for Art On_Line Salon
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SET 4: Moment and memory [1:18:29]
1. [1:21:24] Valentin Silvestrov: Symphony No. 8. From Symphony No. 8, Violin Concerto (Naxos, 2025) with Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Christopher Lyndon-Gee (conductor), Vilius Keras, Donatas Kielius, Aleksandra Kerienė (recording engineers). NOTE: Composed 2012–13, premiered 2015 in Kyiv, North American premiere April 14, 2016 by Seattle Symphony and Mikhail Tatarnikov. First recording
2. [1:55:36] Outro with Valentin Silvestrov: Quartetto Piccolo (Lysenko String Quartet)
Photo credits: David Lynch Eraserhead by Matteo Mariano, Joane Hétu via Productions SuperMusique, Valentin Silvestrov by Dmitri Matveyev, Harriet Tubman (Brandon Ross, JT Lewis, Melvin Gibbs) via MM Music Agency, Sylvie Courvoisier by Mimi Chakarova, Georges Lentz by Klae McGuinness, Unclassified Affections (Dan Weiss, Patricia Brennan, Miles Okazaki, Peter Evans) by Stephanie Ahn-Weiss, Adi Newton by E Gabriel Edvy, Cobar Sound Chapel by Lindsay Johnston, Nick Didkovsky by Lutz Diehl, Jose Davila by Alessandra Freguja, The Cave (Marilyn Crispell, Michala Østergaard-Nielsen, Thommy Andersson) by Stefani Sjöström Windfelt.