Composition / All styles

Ark Hive of A Live is a 4 CD set of recordings by Andrew Poppy, along with a 128 page book, including writing by Andrew Poppy; an introduction by Paul Morley; other writing by Leah Kardos, Nik Bärtsch and Rose English; and archival photographs.

**LP version. Individually hand numbered strictly limited edition 300 copies in premium white audiophile virgin vinyl** "Exclusive sleeve notes by Paul Roland, John Greaves, Michael Tanner and Max Marchini. Produced by Max Marchini. A decisive step forward, a new milestone in the extraordinary discography of Lino Capra Vaccina. An album of iridescent introspectivity; a mandala of unheard sounds, a new way for contemporary minimalism. My collaboration with Lino has led me to discover recesses, re…

**CD version. Individually hand numbered strictly limited edition 300 copies in golden audiophile cd** "Exclusive sleeve notes by Paul Roland, John Greaves, Michael Tanner and Max Marchini. Produced by Max Marchini. A decisive step forward, a new milestone in the extraordinary discography of Lino Capra Vaccina. An album of iridescent introspectivity; a mandala of unheard sounds, a new way for contemporary minimalism. My collaboration with Lino has led me to discover recesses, reflections and ref…

*300 copies limited edition* Combining the lyricism of chamber music, the raw tones of punk and metal, the clarity of post-rock, and the abstraction of electroacoustic music, Dionée offers a unique, cinematic musical journey. The trio, with its colorful instrumentation, delivers with Mille-feuilles an astonishing, orchestral‑sounding work in which oboe, accordion, and electric bass converse with a range of electronic instruments and effects.

Himorogi is the tenth album by Ironomi. Divining Japanese mythology and its relationship with nature, the new album is an aural pastorale that fosters deeper territory in the realm of spiritual searching through dreamy, drifting piano, 17-string koto (jūshichi-gensō) and new form electronic processing. ironomi’s desire to commune with mother Earth and its season’s colors has always served as a continual inspiration for their music. In himorogi, the duo delves into a more spiritual focus in their…

The sixth and final volume in Wergo's acclaimed series of recordings, Earle Brown - A Life in Music completes the label's reissue of the eighteen LPs of Earle Brown's legendary Contemporary Sound Series, recorded between 1960 and 1973. The first disc in the set contains works by John Cage and Christian Wolff from the early 1960s. Disc two presents violinist Paul Zukofsky accompanied by pianist Gilbert Kalish in works by Crumb, Yun, Wuorinen and Cage. The final disc contains works by South Americ…

Three discs, three distinct worlds - each one a landmark. Vol. 5 of Earle Brown's Contemporary Sound Series may be the most dramatically varied installment in the entire programme, arcing from the handmade electronic circuitry of four American mavericks to one of the great piano sonatas of the 20th century, and closing with the golden tone of the most celebrated flutist of the post-war avant-garde. The first disc is Electric Sound, the only album the Sonic Arts Union ever released as a group. Or…

"Wergo's reissues of the legendary Earle Brown Contemporary Sound Series have been a big hit with fans of contemporary music around the world. Each set is a treasure-trove of works by a wide range of composers, performed by some of the finest musicians of the time. The three CDs of volume four feature string quartets by Boulez, Scelsi and Earle Brown, works for chamber orchestra by Xenakis, Aldo Clementi, Bo Nilsson, Wlodzimierz Kotonski and Yuji Takahashi and works by Milko Kelemen, Niccolo Cas…

The voice as instrument, the temple bell as orchestra, the piano as detonator. Vol. 3 of Earle Brown's Contemporary Sound Series traces three radical propositions about sound and its sources - each originating from a different continent, each redefining what was possible within its medium. The first disc belongs to Cathy Berberian. Originally issued on Time Records in 1962, it captures the American mezzo-soprano - then based in Milan and married to Luciano Berio - at the height of her extraordin…

3-CD Set.  Recorded between 1960 and 1973, the original eighteen LPs that comprise Earle Brown's legendary Contemporary Sound Series have been highly sought after in the secondary market since 1978 when they were discontinued. These rare and historically important recordings of international avant-garde music have been carefully digitized and remastered by the Earle Brown Music Foundation. Volume two includes music by Nono (Polifonica-Monodia-Ritmica), Bruno Maderna (Serenata No. 2), Luciano Ber…

'Etudes Australes was composed specifically for Grete Sultan, so this album is among the definitive recordings. As an indeterminate piece for solo piano (okay, well, a "duet for two hands"), this sounds very similar to Music of Changes, Winter Music, etc. Here, though, Cage generates indeterminacy by turning once again to using star charts as tools of composition, as he did previously in the wonderful Atlas Eclipticalis. In a way, I find the piano to be more suited to star charts than almost any…

'I believe Jacob's Room is one of the most extraordinary examples of extended vocal techniques that I have ever heard. Touch is the child of the original Buchla electronic music triumvirate that included Silver Apples and Wild Bull. Its exploration of the sound and texture possibilities of electronic music is a variation on the two previous compositions. Jacob's Room is a vehicle for Subotnick's wife, Joan LaBarbara to demonstrate why she is universally considered the master of extended vocal te…

Lüüp, the acclaimed international project with collaborations / contributions from musicians from different countries known for blending folk textures with cinematic ambience, releases Meadow Rituals, an expansive 3CD collection that unfolds like a seasonal hymn to nature, memory, and communal ritual. Across three discs, Lüüp weaves delicate acoustic instrumentation, ritualistic percussion, choral textures, and intimate field recordings into a cohesive sonic journey that feels both timeless and …

The interesting thing about Robert Morris’s (b. 1943) remarkable career as a composer (and a theorist) is how free he is to move from composing works of great rigor with intricate integrity in his use of pitch-class design, to works of sonic beauty to be performed in a natural outdoor environment, to imaginative electronic/computer music, to the music of acculturation. Among the latter, his monumental Carnatic String Quartet is an outstanding example. In his own words: “Carnatic String Quartet (…

*2026 much needed repress!* Akusmi is the new project moniker of French-born, London based composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Pascal Bideau, who signs to the new Tonal Union imprint for the release of his album ‘Fleeting Future.’ With its hallucinatory, genre-defying blend of minimalism, cosmic jazz and Fourth World influences, and in its quest for optimism in the face of unknown and limitless possibility. ‘Fleeting Future’ stands apart as an inventive and inspirational debut. The crea…

In April 2009, Iceland’s neo-classical export Ólafur Arnalds created the 7-song series Found Songs – recording a song a day for 7 days and instantly making each track available via Twitter. With artwork contributions from fans via Flickr, this modern release awakens memories of a tradition that seemed lost in the digital age we live in. Born in 1987, Ólafur hails from the suburban Icelandic town, Mosfellsbær, just a few kilometres outside of Reykjavík. He has immersed himself completely in a wor…

Round Sky brings together Léo Dupleix and Asterales in an exploration of just intonation and radiant calm. The album’s three compositions subtly merge analogue synthesizer, harpsichord, spinet, bass, flute, and guitar in landscapes of nuanced minimalism. Methodical in structure yet alive to spontaneous beauty, the record unfolds as a quietly luminous meditation on the complexities of harmony and texture.

Live recording at the Rotonda del Pellegrini, Milan, January 21st, 1959 featuring John Cage, Morton Feldman, Juan Hidalgo, Leopoldo La Rosa, and Walter Marchetti. Among all the events involving John Cage during the long stay in Europe that followed his controversial appearance at Darmstadt Ferienkurse in September 1958, the concert he held in Milan on January 21st perhaps represents a less well known episode. Featuring Cage's intervention both as composer and performer of one's own work as well …

Special discounted Bundle. Audiophile edition. Pure analogue mastering & cutting from the original master tapes. Representing three of the most essential and sought-after works within the canon of 20th Century avant-garde composition, this bundle brings together Luc Ferrari's Presque Rien No.1 / Société II, Mauricio Kagel's Acustica, and Tōru Takemitsu's Quatrain / A Flock Descends Into The Pentagonal Garden in a single offering. Originally issued by Deutsche Grammophon between 1970 and 1980, ou…

Darla is pleased to offer A Song For Lost Blossoms, a record of ambient melody and transcendental mood portals from minimalist/modernist master Harold Budd and friend guitarist/composer/producer Clive Wright. A Song For Lost Blossoms nicely builds on both artists’ previous ambient work. A Song For Lost Blossoms was recorded live and in studio at different locations including the artists’ homes, at REDCAT (Roy E. Disney Concert and Theater), Los Angeles, and Clive Wright's Desert Sky Studio, Josh…

Darla is pleased to offer a new album from Harold Budd and Clive Wright. Little Windows completes the trilogy begun with A Song for Lost Blossoms and carried through their previous album Candylion.  Part of Little Windows was recorded especially for Echoes, the nightly music soundscape from Public Radio International heard on over 120 public radio stations and online at www.echoes.org.  These recordings were first heard on Echoes Radio in Fall 2009.  The other part of Little Windows was recorded…

Jane 12-21 is the companion to Jane 1-11. Minimal, modern classical piano and avant-garde electronics by the master.  "It's simple. I broke out and broke back to my earlier days: A triangle of risk, improvisation and joy -- as I say, very simple. My rules to myself were: No plan, no notes, no ideas, no microphones; except for Jane 1 I stuck to it. My other rule -- the most important one -- was: At least one piece per day, finished, mixed and not to be revisited again. Jane 7, 8, 9 were done in o…

'What Remains’ is the new album from John Haycock featuring Dan Bridgwood-Hill. Originally composed for resonance and performed live at Hope Baptist Church in Hebden Bridge in 2023, the composition uses kora, clarinet, guitar, violin and electronics to produce a heartfelt conjunction of acoustic, processed and environmental elements, deeply rooted in the land and history of the Calder Valley, West Yorkshire. The original recording has been ‘Worldized’ in the Todmorden Unitarian Church, a term co…

Bastille Musique presents its fortieth release »György Kurtág: Secreta« featuring Quatuor Béla. The album contains a new studio production of Kurtág’s complete works for string quartet from 1959 to 2011, including the first recording of a previously unpublished composition. The recordings, produced by the SWR, are complemented by a 56-page bilingual booklet (EN, DE) with texts by Tobias Bleek, a conversation with the quartet and the recording producer, several autograph pages and two concertina-…

The latest album from Michael Cashmore (formerly of Current 93, plus known for his work as Nature and Organisation and collaborations with artists such as Marc Almond, Nick Cave, Bill Fay, Rose McDowell and Antony and the Johnsons, amongst others) veers from the paths his previous releases have been on into an area altogether more grandiose or stately. While all of his recordings under his own name have alluded to orchestral or soundtrack work to varying degrees, he has long committed himself to…

An incredible set of vinyl reissues explores the unfolding sonic fiction of Texan composer Jerry Hunt and others affiliated with his Irida label.

"The piece given may be characterized as a certain activity, a special kind of practice. We practice as a trio (two players and one producer), hoping that anything might emerge: we gather to share a beautiful time together, exchanging our hopes and longings, our suffering, and our pain. Why should there be music at all? Faced with this question and considering the state of our world, artists could often find themselves drawn toward a sense of meaninglessness. But this is not the end. In the face…

Matthew Wright’s album Cracked Glaze is performed by virtuoso vocalist Sofia Jernberg, Ensemble Klang (Michiel van Dijk, Erik-Jan de With, Anton van Houten, Pete Harden, Saskia Lankhoorn and Joey Marijs) and Wright’s improv/electronic group Spheric Totemic (Mandhira de Saram, Neil Charles, Alexander Hawkins, Stephen Davis and Matthew Wright). The 46-minute piece was performed live, and is built around a ‘spine’ of one long, descending scale which takes nineteen minutes to unfurl, and which then …

Squarepusher, presents Kammerkonzert, a riot of onyx-hard, hyperfast riffs, fiendish orchestral themes and handbrake turns through varieties of progressive, ambient, electronic and experimental music.

“It’s hard not to figure Jack Sheen’s compositions primordially; they lurch and rock with an abortive conviction, as if heralding culture’s approach—still half-submerged, slouched and red, ages ago. His work is somehow determinedly before almost everything; it feels like a dialectical twin to Beckett’s afterwards. Press moves with grossly impoverished intent—almost as if composed—while trembling and stumbling on the cusp of accident. This projected bodily timidity corresponds with a situation ri…

Concrete follows from Robert Ashley's preoccupation in two previous operas with the kind of speech that has not been explored in opera -- in Dust (LCD 1006CD), the speech of the homeless; in Celestial Excursions (LCD 1007CD), the speech of people living together in a home for old people. The three operas are not a "trilogy" in any sense, but they all come from this preoccupation with or fascination with special kinds of speech and special kinds of states of mind. "The characters I'm interested i…

Robert Ashley's street-corner opera: five voices, Joan La Barbara, Thomas Buckner and Jacqueline Humbert among them, recall a man who lost his legs in a war and, when the morphine wore off, his conversation with God. "Blue" Gene Tyranny on synthesizer; 2CD with the 160-page libretto in a slipcase.

2025 stock 1998 release. Inner Journey contains works by William Duckworth, Thomas Buckner, Jacques Bekaert, David Wessel, and Somei Satoh - united by their themes of the quest for self-knowledge. Composed of fragments from the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry Miller, Gertrude Stein, and Thomas McGrath, William Duckworth's text reveals the multiple perspectives of an unknown couple whose post-modern love story emerges. Thomas Buckner's improvisation, "Inner Journey", is dedicated to the spiri…

*2022 stock* "Any resemblance between these pointillistic chamber compositions and Schoenberg is purely coincidental. Delicate as to texture, curiously dispassionate as to mood, these mostly notated woodwind, string, and piano chamber works are motivically atonal, but tend to collapse into tonal cadences just to show you they know where they are. Like Ornette Coleman, Mitchell's playing with the tension between center and periphery, but in a milder, more abstract idiom and from the other directi…

Crash was Robert Ashley's last opera. It premiered at the Whitney Biennial weeks after his death in 2014, and presented again in 2015 at Roulette, where this recording was made. Featuring the original cast: Gelsey Bell, Amirtha Kidambi, Brian McCorkle, Paul Pinto, Dave Ruder, and Aliza Simons. Music Director: Tom Hamilton. "What I have appreciated most about previous reconceptions of Ashley's operas was the extent to which newcomers found fresh possibilities. Already in Crash, broadened horizons…

An opera commissioned by Bayerisher Rundfunk Munich's Hörspiel und Medienkunst department about an internationally renowned swindler, who almost took down the European and American banking system. Featuring the voices of Robert Ashley, Sam Ashley, Thomas Buckner, Jackie Humbert, and Joan La Barbara. Recorded and mixed by Tom Hamilton. Robert Ashley on the piece: "Your Money My Life Goodbye is one of forty-nine vocal-ensemble pieces of various lengths (from ten minutes to ninety minutes or more) …

1994 release. The fourth opera in Robert Ashley's Now Eleanor's Idea tetralogy: Junior, Jr.'s story. A group of scenes from the life of an agent. The scenes are a kind of debriefing to a jury of interrogators, in which the Interrogators challenge the agent in various forms of musical dialogue. The mood of the opera owes much to American society's ongoing fascination with espionage and with the character of those people who lead double lives. Featuring Thomas Buckner as the agent and Jacqueline H…

1990 CD issue of Robert Ashley's 1978 piece for voice and electronics. A two-part composition with narration (part one in Spanish and part two in heavily altered English) commissioned by public radio station KUNM in Albuquerque, this music has a plain, serene beauty. Part one is a narration by Guillermo Grenier in dreamy, flatly inflected Spanish, backed by a four-note synthesizer track, and punctuated by mysterious, heavily processed vocalizations. Ashley throws in extensive sound washes and ot…

In 2012, the Wergo label celebrates its 50th anniversary. For half a century, Wergo has been synonymous with contemporary music. The label's catalog reads like a virtual who's-who of modern music, both in terms of composers and performers. From the beginning, the intent of founder Werner Goldschmidt (from whom the label derives its name) was to provide listeners with a snapshot of current musical activity and innovation. Goldschmidt's label and mission, now managed by the publisher Schott, is ma…

*2022 stock* It's over 70 years since John Cage wrote his pivotal Music of Changes, and it's beginning to show its age. It feels very much of its time, with its uncompromising adherence to the 64 hexagrams of I-Ching, the Chinese book of changes, determining the direction of the piece and its use of sudden, percussive attacks on the strings or the body of the instrument. But for all that there is no denying the extreme stamina and concentration required of the performer, and here Herbert Henck e…