Flotation Device celebrates the 100th birthdays of microtonal pioneer Ben Johnston and electronic music pioneer İlhan Mimaroğlu, plus the 80th birthday of Michael Finnissy, whose prodigious output we sample in a medley that acknowledges his connections to Bach, Ives and Gershwin as well as the New Complexity movement. Our 50 years ago in the avant-garde feature looks back at New York's loft jazz scene with Sam Rivers, Dave Holland and Barry Altschul, and their echoes resound in new recordings by Jacob Garchik, François Houle, Kate Gentile and Alexander Hawkins. Alice Sara Ott plays Jóhann Jóhannsson on an old upright piano, while Bill Frisell blends a jazz guitar trio with a classical string trio in his new album. And Gabriel Zucker's rock and avant-garde collisions in the mold of Zorn and Zappa round out the proceedings. Creative and improvised music with host Michael Schell from 91.3 KBCS Bellevue/Seattle/Tacoma.
Global chart history
Top position held by this upload
Comments
Flotation Device 2026-03-15: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell - PART ONE
Intro and SET 1: Mimaroğlu at 100 [0:00]
1. [1:37] Jacob Garchik: Exo Microbiology. From Ye Olde 2: At the End of Time (Yesterserve, 2025) with Ye Olde: Jacob Garchik (trombone), Brandon Seabrook, Mary Halvorson, Jonathan Goldberger (guitars), Vinnie Sperrazza (drums), Daniel James Goodwin (recording engineer, Bunker Studio)
2. [5:38] Gabriel Zucker: Redeye to London, Intentional (But Never How You Wanted). From Confession (Boomslang, 2025) with Gabriel Zucker (pianos, synths, electronics, keyboards, voice), Grey Mcmurray (guitar), Eva Lawitts (bass), Connor Parks, Henry Mermer (drums), Lily Wen (recording engineer, Figure 8 Studio)
3. [14:37] İlhan Mimaroğlu: Bowery Bum (study after Jean Dubuffet) From Electronic Music (Turnabout, 1965). NOTE: Realized 1964 using a rubber band as the sound source
4. [17:25] İlhan Mimaroğlu: Wings of the Delirious Demon - Section III. From Wings of the Delirious Demon and other electronic works (Finnadar, 1972, reissued 1989 on Criminal Record). NOTE: Realized 1969. A clarinet is the unique sound source. The title is derived from a poem by Ilya Ehrenburg
5. [22:35] Jóhann Jóhannsson: Flight from the City. From Piano Works (Deutsche Grammophon, 2026) with Alice Sara Ott (upright piano), Bergur Þórisson (recording engineer)
SET 2: Ben Johnston at 100 [27:20]
1. [31:29] İlhan Mimaroğlu in conversation with Charles Amirkhanian
2. [32:58] İlhan Mimaroğlu: Sing Me a Song of Songmy (excerpts). From Sing Me a Song of Songmy (Atlantic, 1971) with Mary Ann Hoxworth, Charles Grau, Güngör Bozkurt, Nhā Khê (recitation), İlhan Mimaroğlu (tape part), Freddie Hubbard (trumpet, fluegelhorn), Junior Cook (tenor saxophone), Kenny Barron (piano), Art Booth (bass), Louis Hayes (drums), Barnard-Columbia Chorus, string orchestra, Arif Mardin (organ, conductor)
3. [43:53] Ben Johnston: String Quartet No. 4 (Amazing Grace). From Amazing Grace (Microfest, 2022) with Lyris Quartet: Alyssa Park, Shalini Vijayan (violins), Luke Maurer (viola), Timothy Loo (cello), John Schneider (recording engineer)
4. [55:28] Outro with Ben Johnston: String Quartet No. 7 (Kepler Quartet)
5. [58:58] Bill Frisell: Trapped in the Sky. From In My Dreams (Blue Note, 2026) with Jenny Scheinman (violin), Eyvind Kang (viola), Joseph Branciforte (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded live February 8, 2025 at Roulette Intermedium, Brooklyn
6. [1:01:03] Bill Frisell: Again. From In My Dreams (as above) with Bill Frisell (guitar, loops), Jenny Scheinman (violin), Eyvind Kang (viola), Hank Roberts (cello), Thomas Morgan (bass), Rudy Royston (drums), Kevin Lee (recording engineer). NOTE:Recorded live April 3, 2025 at The Newman Center, Denver
Flotation Device 2026-03-15: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell - PART TWO
SET 3: Finnissy at 80 [1:07:18]
1. [1:09:14] Michael Finnissy: Civilisation - 1. From Six Sexy Minuets Three Trios (Métier, 2018) with Kreutzer Quartet: Peter Sheppard Skærved, Mihailo Trandafilovski (violins), Morgan Goff (viola), Neil Neyde (cello), Jonathan Haskell (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2004/13
2. [1:11:22] Michael Finnissy: Opera of the Nobility - IIa. From Other Stories (Wergo, 2020) with Trio Accanto: Marcus Weiss (soprano saxophone), Nicolas Hodges (piano), Christian Dierstein (percussion). NOTE: Composed 2017
3. [1:15:29] Michael Finnissy: Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn - 3. Ach, ziehe die Seele. From Pious Anthems & Voluntaries (Signum Classics, 2020) with Alfred Harrison (treble from Choir of St. John's College Cambridge), Sarah O'Flynn (flute), James Anderson-Besant (organ), Andrew Nethsingha (conductor), Simon Eadon (recording engineer)
4. [1:18:10] Michael Finnissy: Red Earth (excerpt). From Red Earth (NMC, 1996) with Richard Simpson (oboe), Helen Keen (piccolo), Caroline Harrison (viola), Barry Webb, Christopher Redgate (didjeridus), BBC Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins (conductor), Harriet Sims, Mike Hatch (recording engineers). NOTE: Composed 1988
5. [1:22:18] Michael Finnissy: Six sexy minuets three trios - 4. Allegretto capriccioso. From Six Sexy Minuets Three Trios (credits as above). NOTE: Composed 2003
6. [1:23:47] Michael Finnissy: Clarinetten-Liederkreis - 5. A Capriccio. From Six Sexy Minuets Three Trios (as above) with Linda Merrick (clarinet), Kreutzer Quartet: Peter Sheppard Skærved, Mihailo Trandafilovski (violins), Morgan Goff (viola), Neil Neyde (cello), Jonathan Haskell (recording engineers). NOTE: Composed 2016
7. [1:25:20] Michael Finnissy: How Long Has This Been Going On?. From Gershwin Arrangements, More Gershwin (Piano Classics, 2021) with Lukas Huisman (piano), Micheal Penson (recording engineer)
SET 4: 50 years ago in the avant-garde [1:29:26]
1. [1:33:05] François Houle, Kate Gentile, Alexander Hawkins: La petite bête (Louis Renard), Tart ara mon coeur (Molinet) [excerpts]. From Fatrasies (Les Disques Victo, 2024) with François Houle (clarinet, basset clarinet, electronics), Alexander Hawkins (piano), Kate Gentile (drums, percussion), Larry O'Malley (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded live May 21, 2023 at Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada
2. [1:45:11] Sam Rivers: Vision (excerpt). From The Quest (Red, 1976) with Sam Rivers (flute), Dave Holland (bass), Barry Altschul (percussions), Alessandro Cutolo (digital restoration). NOTE: Recorded live March 12-13, 1976 at Palazzo dello Sport, Milan
3. [1:53:14] Sam Rivers: Judgement (excerpt). From The Quest (as above) with Sam Rivers (piano), Dave Holland (bass), Barry Altschul (percussions), Alessandro Cutolo (digital restoration)
4. [1:55:39] Outro with Sam Rivers Trio: Reunion: Live in New York (recorded live 2007)
Photo credits: John Lennon with Mimaroğlu LP, Michael Finnissy via the artist, In My Dreams (Jenny Scheinman, Thomas Morgan, Rudy Royston, Bill Frisell, Eyvind Kang, Hank Roberts) via PostGenre, İlhan Mimaroğlu via Discogs, Sam Rivers and Dave Holland via the artists, Alice Sara Ott via the artist, Ye Olde (Mary Halvorson, Brandon Seabrook, Jacob Garchik, Jonathan Goldberger, Vinnie Sperrazza) by Peter Gannushkin, Jóhann Jóhannsson via Bandcamp, Gabriel Zucker via the artist, Kate Gentile via the artist, Ben Johnston via NPR.
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://linktr.ee/MichaelSchell