Di Mainstone Fashions a New Sonic Future
THINKING BIG
Di Mainstone, inventor of the Human Harp, describes herself as a “bridge botherer.” But to be accurate, her bridge-bothering activities are fairly recent. Before bridges (the Human [...]
Sound notes
The Friendly Exchanges of Germaine Liu
When percussionist Germaine Liu performs, there’s more to her approach than simply striking a snare drum with a wooden stick. Liu seeks a deeper intimacy with her [...]
Anna Pidgorna's Invented Folk Songs
ORNAMENTS OF SORROW
With its balance of bold colour palettes, strong melodic profiles, and unexpected performative elements, composer Anna Pidgorna’s work has been catching eyes and ears of late. Her [...]
Christine Sun Kim Explores the Politics of Sound
SILENCE OBLIVIOUS AS EVER
“Low frequencies just being abstract and shit — High frequencies be like anal and micromanaging for no good reason — Silence oblivious as ever” [...]
Features
The Expanding Universe of Yamantaka // Sonic Titan
YOUR TASK: ROCK OUT
I HAD BEEN GRIPING TO ALASKA B, cofounder of the creative ensemble YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN, that Bloordale didn’t have any decent pizza. I’d recently[...]
Joshua Abrams’ Natural Information Society
BY WAY OF THE GUIMBRI
THERE'S AN ENGAGING CATCH-AS-CATCH-CAN LOOK to Joshua Abrams’ Natural Information Society, something that immediately conveys a certain spontaneity, yet disguises—slightly—the[...]
MIND, BODY, SPIRIT
One hundred and twenty kids, seated on benches and gym mats, are beaming as they beat out a pulsating rhythm on small percussion instruments. Their ecstatic expressions match that[...]
Visions of sound
The Retro Aesthetic of Le Révélateur
THE OCEAN RECEDES INTO THE DISTANCE, awash in thick bands of golden-purple sunset hues. Its surface ripples in loose synchronization with a burbling synthesizer score. Suddenly, a shimmering [...]
Reviews
Sony Centre Toronto, June 26–28 (part of the 2015 Luminato Festival)
Tony Wilson. A Day's Life; A Bowl of Sixty Taxidermists.
Drip Audio, DA01107; Songlines, SGL 1611-2.
Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville
May 14–17, 2015. Victoriaville, Quebec.