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Flotation Device begins 2026 with a combination of old friends and new voices, with John Zorn, Kate Gentile and Matt Mitchell exploring the expansive potential of short compositions, John Bischoff exploring the musical application of short circuits, and Denis Dufour delivering avant-electronica in an ongoing series from Kairos records. Paweł Łukowiec channels Charles Ives through the Polish avant-garde, while Hannah Kendall and Dobrinka Tabakova channel vernacular instruments through more cultivated idioms. Shuying Li processes the competing postpartum emotions of joy and depression in Out Came The Sun, while Mark Feldman, Tim Daisy, Steph Richards, Marilyn Crispell, and the Zurich-based trio Les Mercenaires de l'Amour Fou demonstrate the contemporary praxis of free improvisation. Creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world with host Michael Schell, from 91.3 KBCS Bellevue/Seattle/Tacoma. Visit us at https://linktr.ee/MichaelSchell
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Flotation Device 2026-01-04: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell (PART ONE)
Intro and SET 1: Acousmatic snark [0:00]
1. [1:10] Matt Mitchell, Kate Gentile: hem(atoadaso)da. From Snark Horse (Pi, 2021) with Matt Mitchell (piano, synthesizers, electronics), Kate Gentile (drums, percussion), Kim Cass (acoustic and electroacoustic bass), Davy Lazar (trumpets, cornet), D. James Goodwin (recording engineer, Clubhouse Recording Studios)
2. [3:13] Denis Dufour: Variations acousmatiques, Op. 157 (excerpts). From Complete Acousmatic Works, Vol. 1 (Kairos, 2021). NOTE: Realized 2011
3. [10:03] Denis Dufour: Le Tango de l’oubli, Op. 126. From Complete Acousmatic Works, Vol. 1 (KAIROS, 2021). NOTE: Realized 2003
4. [14:04] Matt Mitchell, Kate Gentile: adrenal halos | dog mma((t)t)gic. From Snark Horse (Pi, 2021) with Matt Mitchell (piano, synthesizers, electronics), Kate Gentile (drums, percussion), Kim Cass (acoustic and electroacoustic bass), Mat Maneri (viola), Brandon Seabrook (guitar, tenor banjo), D. James Godowin (recording engineer, Clubhouse Recording Studios)
SET 2: Dancing, spinning and touring [25:39]
1. [29:03] Hannah Kendall: Where is the chariot of fire?. From Shouting forever into the receiver (NMC, 2025) with Hallé, Jonathan Bloxham (conductor), Stephen Portnoi (recording engineer)
2. [34:04] Dobrinka Tabakova: Spinning a Yarn. From Sun Triptych (ECM, 2025) with Roman Mints (violin, hurdy-gurdy), Rainer Maillard (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2011, premiere recording
3. [40:43] Marilyn Crispell: Dancing On Water. From The Montclair Session (Loveland, 2025) with Marilyn Crispell (piano), Paul Zinman (recording engineer, Sound on Sound)
4. [44:07] Shuying Li: Out Came the Sun. From The Last Hive Mind (BMOP/sound, 2025) with Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Gil Rose (conductor), Joel Gordon (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2017, premiere recording
6. [56:23] Outro with Shuying Li: The Siege
7. [58:49] John Zorn: Bagatelle #50. From John Zorn's Bagatelles Vol. 5 (Tzadik, 2021) with Kris Davis Quartet: Kris Davis (piano), Mary Halvorson (guitar), Drew Gress (bass), Kenny Wollesen (drums), Scott Hull (recording engineer)
8. [1:04:47] John Zorn: Bagatelle #289. From John Zorn's Bagatelles Vol. 7 (Tzadik, 2021) with Brian Marsella (piano)
9. [1:07:25] John Zorn: Bagatelle #6. From John Zorn's Bagatelles Vol. 8 (Tzadik, 2021) with John Medeski Trio: John Medeski (organ), David Fiuczynski (guitar), G. Calvin Weston (drums)
Flotation Device 2026-01-04: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell (PART TWO)
SET 3: Duplicity [1:10:35]
1. [1:11:32] Les Mercenaires de l‘Amour Fou: Here Goes Nothing. From Flugsalbi (Pekaton, 2021) with Les Mercenaires de l‘Amour Fou: Martin Medimorec (vibraphone), Christian Bucher (drums), Matthias Reinhard-DeRoo (bass)
2. [1:14:15] Mark Feldman, Tim Daisy: Elasticity. From Circle Back (Relay Recordings, 2022) with Mark Feldman (violin), Tim Daisy (drums), Bill Harris (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded live October 17, 2021 at the Catalytic Sound Festival, Elastic Arts Foundation, Chicago, IL
3. [1:21:28] Steph Richards: Northern Lights - Aurora IV. From Zephyr (Relative Pitch, 2021) with Steph Richards (trumpet, flugelhorn, resonating water vessels), Joshua White (prepared piano, percussion)
4. [1:24:50] John Bischoff: Circuit Combine. From Bitplicity (Artifact Recordings, 2021) with John Bischoff (electronics), Philip Perkins (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2013
SET 4: Anamorphosis in the dark [1:35:04]
1. [1:37:48] Paweł Łukowiec: Anamorphosis II for piano and string orchestra. From Anamorphosis (Dux, 2021) with Marek Mizera (piano), Camerata Scholarum, Wojciech Zdyb (conductor), Krzysztof Sztekmiler (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2018
2. [1:52:39] Outro with Charles Ives: Central Park in the Dark (New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein)
Photo credits: Out Came the Sun by Tanner Porter (for Shuying Li), Mark Feldman by Michael Jackson, Dobrinka Tabakova by Benjamin Ealovega, John Zorn by David Garland, Denis Dufour via the artist, Les mercenaires de l'amour fou (Christian Bucher, Matthias Reinhard-DeRoo, Martin Medimorec) via the artists, Marilyn Crispell by Bobby Glazer, circuit by John Bischoff, Charles Ives via the Charles Ives Society, Steph Richards by Chris Weiss, Paweł Łukowiec by Joanna Klich, Matt Mitchell and Kate Gentile via the artists, Hannah Kendall by Emily Denny.
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