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New Sounds from WNYC — Arts
New Sounds from WNYC

New Sounds is unlike any radio show you’ve ever heard: a whirlwind tour of new and unusual music from all corners of the globe. New Sounds combs recent recordings for one of the most informative and compelling hours on radio, and aims to make the world smaller. For over 25 years, host John Schaefer has been finding the melody in the rainforest and the rhythm in an orchestra of tin cans. Defying rigid categorization and genre pigeonholing, New Sounds offers new ways to hear the ancient language of song. With guest musicians from David Byrne to Meredith Monk to Ravi Shankar to Philip Glass to Christopher O’Riley to Bang On A Can, Schaefer presents performances (both in-studio and from the New Sounds Live concert series) and premieres new works from the classic and operatic to folk and jazz, and anything else in between. Each show has a theme, ranging from post-rock to klezmer to African blues to minimalism. The variety of cultures and styles explored is boundless. Music you may not have known existed and now can’t live without.

Copyright: © WNYC

Latest Episodes:

New Music for String Quartet (Special Podcast) Apr 18, 2015

Show notes

Hear unusual music for string quartet on this program, as Australian composer Andrew Byrne, now based in New York, uses the string quartet as a percussion instrument in his work called “Striking.” Then, listen to Bang on a Can All-Star saxman, clarinetist and composer Ken Thomson’s work for the JACK Quartet, “THAW.” There’s also folk-informed music from the singer, songwriter and composer Aoife O Donovan as played by Brooklyn Rider. Hear string quartet music by multi-instrumentalist composer Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ, who plays a traditional Vietnamese string instrument on “Green River Delta,” in collaboration with Kronos Quartet. Plus, hear a work from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Luther Adams that uses the string quartet as an ambient music ensemble, relying upon harmonics and on tones played on open strings. That, and more.

PROGRAM #3686 Music for String Quartet (First aired on 1/21/2015)

ARTIST(S)

RECORDING

CUT(S)

SOURCE

Ken Thomson (JACK quartet)

THAW

Thaw, excerpt [1:41]

Cantaloupe Records 21095 bangonacan.org

Members of Either/Or Ensemble

Striking; Whispers and Cries

Andrew Byrne: Striking Parts 1 & 2 [7:32]

Available for purchase directly through composer here: andrewbyrne.com

JACK Quartet

John Luther Adams: The Wind in High Places

John Luther Adams: The Wind in High Places - Above Sunset Pass [7:24]

Cold Blue Music CBM 41 coldbluemusic.com

Ken Thomson (JACK quartet)

THAW

THAW: Thaw [10:55]

Cantaloupe Music 21095 bangonacan.org

Brooklyn Rider

Almanac

Aoife O'Donovan: Show Me [4:56]

Mercury Classics / In A Circle Records #002159302 mercuryclassics.com Available at iTunes, Amazon.com, Emusic.com

Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ with Kronos Quartet

Three-Mountain Pass

Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ: Green River Delta/Luu Thuy Truong [4:40]

Innova 866 innova.mu

Members of Either/Or Ensemble

Striking; Whispers and Cries

Andrew Byrne: Striking Parts 3 & 4 [8:30]

Available for purchase directly through composer here: andrewbyrne.com

Psychedelic World Music (Special Podcast) Mar 31, 2015

Show notes

Listen to world music that veers into psychedelic territory on this New Sounds, with Native-American inspired percussive drone music and Afrobeat from Brazil in music by Bixiga 70. Hear a mix of Afro-Ethiopian rock and jazz from the Brazilian band, Bixiga70, whose name is clearly a nod to the Afrobeat pioneered by Fela Kuti and drummer Tony Allen (with whom Mauricio Fleury from the band studied with.) This brass-heavy sound bounces through boundaries to harvest textures of Guinean and Malian mandingo from Guinea and Mali, soukous from the Congo and ethio-jazz. Also, there’s music from a Chinese string band, Red Chamber, and their pipa, zheng, zhongruan, among other Chinese lutes and zithers. On this tune,"Ah Ya Zein," they accompany oud player Gordon Grdina, and are augmented by all kinds of percussion from other traditions. Then, hear “tribal folkadelia” from Flamingods, with musicians based in London & Bahrain, and operatic trance music from Toronto-based artist, Alexandra Mackenzie, who records under the moniker Petra Glynt. Also, listen to a song from Nathan Bowles, a pounding tribute in percussive drone to the dwindling population of the Nansemond tribe who were part of the Powhatan confederacy in Virginia. Plus, explosive music from the Belgian brass klezmer punk band Kermesz a l'est, and more.

PROGRAM #3638, Psychedelic World Music (First aired on 9/17/2014)

ARTIST(S)

RECORDING

CUT(S)

SOURCE

Flamingods

Hyperborea

Vimana, excerpt [1:00]

SHAPE 027 shaperecords.co.uk shaperecords.bandcamp.com

Red Chamber

Gathering

Ah Ya Zein [7:40]

Radwan Ghazi Moumneh (Jerusalem in My Heart)

Mo7it Al-Mo7it

Amanem [8:54]

Constellation Records CST093cstrecords.com Included as part of www.musicworks.ca, Summer 2014 Sampler jerusaleminmyheart.com

Kermesz a l'est

Kermesz a l'est (2014)

Zumkind [6:02]

www.kermeszalest.com

Flamingods

Hyperborea

Vimana [2:32]

SHAPE 027 shaperecords.co.uk shaperecords.bandcamp.com

Petra Glynt

Musicworks Summer 2014

Of This Land

petraglynt.bandcamp.com

Nathan Bowles

Nansemond

The Smoke Swallower [2:38]

Paradies of Bachelors 016 paradiseofbachelors.com

FatDog

New Found Land

Halling Etter Sjur Eldegard, excerpt [1:00]

Riverboat Records 1087 worldmusic.net

Kronos Quartet

Floodplain

Tashweesh [3:24]

Nonesuch 518349 nonesuch.com

Bixiga 70

Ocupai

5 Esquinas [4:31]

maisumdiscos.com

maisumdiscos.bandcamp.com

Angeli Drake

Deghe

Spargiani [6:00]

Available at Amazon.com or Emusic.com

New Music for Hardanger Fiddle (Special Podcast) Mar 17, 2015

Show notes

Listen to new music for the instrument from Southwestern Norway known as the Hardanger fiddle, (or hardingfele), but of course there’s a twist. For this New Sounds, there’s post-rock, world music, electroacoustic music, and even an Irish-American duet on this Norwegian instrument – with music from Scotland, Ireland, and the U.S. Hear the collaborative recording between Hardanger fiddle master Nils Økland and the post-rock duo The Low Frequency In Stereo, called Lumen Drones – which comes off as a psychedelic drone band. Then, listen to music from the octogenarian bard Robin Williamson (of Incredible String Band reknown), along with violist Mat Maneri and drummer Ches Smith. Then, hear a duo record from Caoimhin O Raghallaigh (of The Gloaming) and Dan Trueman (founder of Princeton Laptop Orchestra), which stretches and recombines the DNA of Norwegian folk and Irish trad fiddling on a 10-stringed instrument, the Hardanger d’Amore. Plus, there’s music from the Hardanger’s likely ancestor, the viola d’amore, by composer/violist Garth Knox, and more.

PROGRAM #3676 Hardanger Fiddle Music (First aired on 12/23/2014)

ARTIST(S)

RECORDING

CUT(S)

SOURCE

Lumen Drones (Nils Okland/Per Steinar Lie/Orjan Haaland)

Lumen Drones

Dark Sea [3:54]

ECM 2434 http://ecmrecords.com

Annbjørg Lien

Baba Yaga

Aja [6:27]

North Side #6044 / Grappa Musikkforlag GRCD 4158 annbjorglien.com

Robin Williamson w/ Mat Maneri, viola and Ches Smith, drums

Trusting In The Rising Light

Our Evening Walk [5:40]

ECM 2393 ecmrecords.com

Lumen Drones (Nils Okland/Per Steinar Lie/Orjan Haaland)

Lumen Drones

Keelwater [6:15]

See above.

Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh & Dan Trueman

Laghdú

fead an iolair [4:02]

store.irishmusic.net

Carla Kihlstedt

Borrowed Arms

Hold My Own [5:00]

kihlstedtbossi.bandcamp.com

Garth Knox

D'Amore

Malor me bat (2004) [4:54]

ECM 1925 ecmrecords.com

Music for Choir and Percussion (Special Podcast) Mar 03, 2015

Show notes

Hear music for the combination of choir and percussion like "Whispers and Cries," by Australian born composer Andrew Byrne, which features fellow Aussie musicians Astra Choir and Speak Percussion. The show won't always stick to traditional choirs and percussion. In Daniel Lentz's "Postludium," the choir members rub and strike wine glasses while singing, and Anna Thorvaldsdottir's "into-Second Self" features a layered choir of two brass instruments. In addition to rhythmic and driving drumming, hear more of the atmospheric and colorful role of percussion in music for the combination of choir and percussion. The centerpiece of the show, a work called "Whispers and Cries," by Australian born composer Andrew Byrne, features fellow Aussie musicians Astra Choir and Speak Percussion.

PROGRAM #3670 Music for Choir and Percussion (First aired on 12/8/2014)

ARTIST(S)

RECORDING

CUT(S)

SOURCE

Daniel Lentz

Missa Umbrarum

Postludium, excerpt

New Albion Records Amazon

Andrew Byrne. Performed by Astra Choir and Speak Percussion

Striking; Whispers and Cries

Whispers and Cries: 1. Song for Voice [5:28]

Available for purchase directly through composer here: andrewbyrne.com

Daniel Lentz

Missa Umbrarum

Postludium [8:17]

See above.

Anna Thorvaldsdottir

Aeriality

into-Second Self [7:39]

Deutsche Grammophon Amazon

Andrew Byrne. Performed by Astra Choir and Speak Percussion

Striking; Whispers and Cries

Whispers and Cries: 2. Song for Crotales [5:24]

See above.

Andrew Byrne. Performed by Astra Choir and Speak Percussion

Striking; Whispers and Cries

Whispers and Cries: 3. Song for Piano [4:57]

See above.

Daniel Lentz

Missa Umbrarum

Lascaux, excerpt [9:12]

See above.

New Music for Duos (Special Podcast) Feb 17, 2015

Show notes

Listen to music for two-somes by Xylouris White, Mary Lattimore & Jeff Zeigler, Jeffrey Zeigler (confusingly) & Jason Treuting, Piers Faccini & Vincent Segal, and more.

Sax Leads the Way (Special Podcast) Feb 03, 2015

Show notes

Hear some sax players leading the way on this edition of New Sounds, including new music from sax player Tamar Osborn and her London-based Afro-Eastern-space-jazz band, Collocutor. Listen to their dreamy Turkish & Middle Eastern percussion meets Sun Ra jazz with electronics. Then, there's lyrical and swinging new music from sax & clarinet wizard/composer Ken Thomson and his outfit Slow/Fast. There's also the brand new recording of the "Terminals" concertos by drummer/composer Bobby Previte for percussion ensemble and soloists, his "Terminal 2" for saxman Greg Osby. The series of works was inspired by the schematic-like terminal maps that Previte has noticed in airports around the world. The recording also features So Percussion. Plus, there's music from Peter Gordon and Love Of Life Orchestra, and more.

PROGRAM #3659 Sax Leads the Way (First aired on 11/10/2014)

ARTIST(S)

RECORDING

CUT(S)

SOURCE

Ken Thomson and Slow/Fast

Settle

Settle, excerpt

NCM East Records ktonline.net

Collocutor

Instead

Gozo [6:00]

On The Corner Recordsonthecornerrecords.bandcamp.com

Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra

Symphony 5

Homeland Security [9:54]

Foom foommusic.bandcamp.com

Ken Thomson and Slow/Fast

Settle

Settle [10:12]

NCM East Records ktonline.net

So Percussion feat. Greg Osby

Bobby Previte: Terminals

Bobby Previte: Terminal 2 [16:00]

Cantaloupe Music CA21102 Amazon

Fred Frith and John Butcher

The Natural Order

Faults of His Feet [6:27]

Northern Spy Records northernspyrecords.com

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