Cello and answering machine, ukulele miniatures related to a picture book, sampling, remixing and processing, an orchestral soundscape, an ‘oral score’ transmitted verbally from composer to performers in the way that the work’s epic poetry theme would have been;  this month’s playlist is dominated by acoustic and electronic musical interactions with an experimental and highly conceptual spirit.  Some of these works are literary, historical or political, and all of them are highly evocative of the extra-musical world. Let this amazing playlist challenge your preconceived notions of what it means to compose ‘contemporary’ music.

Hear something that catches your attention? To find out more about a musical work, click on the track name in the playlist and then again on ‘view track’. To find out more about a particular composer, click on their name in the ‘Details’ section below.

DETAILS

1. Leah Blankendaal, TS Eliot Four Quartets – Number II
   An electronic work for the Strut Collaboration Program in 2015. Samples taken from work by composer Laura Halligan. Choreography by Kynan Hughes.
   
2. Benjamin Heim, Babylon
   For violin. Performed and recorded by Courtenay Cleary and Ben Heim.
   
3. David Megarrity,’Pavement’ from Sounds from the Empty City
   For ukulele, with 12-string guitar, piano and double bass. Recorded and mixed by David Megarrity and Brett Collery.
   
4. David Megarrity, ‘Lost Property’ from Sounds from the Empty City
5. Jakob Bragg, Atmosphoria
   For orchestra. Performed by Queensland Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Matthew Schwarz.
   
6. Alex Turley, To See a World in a Grain of Sand
   For voice and electronics. Performed by Monica Brierley-Hay.
   
7. David Megarrity, ‘Showing Pluck’ from Sounds from the Empty City
8. David Megarrity, ‘Shoelaces and Yo-Yo’ from Sounds from the Empty City
9. David Megarrity, ‘The Busy City’ from Sounds from the Empty City
10. Caerwen Martin, Hellow
    For cello and answering machine. Performed by Caerwen Martin.
    
11. Rishin Singh, the stymphalian birds
    For percussion and electronics.  Performed by Johnny Chang, Morten J Olsen, Steve Heather.  Recorded by Adam Asnan live at Series, Studio 8, Berlin.
    

We’d love to hear about your listening experience! Share your thoughts or send messages of support to our featured composers and performers in the comment box below. We also encourage you to click through to Soundcloud to like, comment and subscribe to Making Waves as well as the composers, performers, and presenters featured.

The Experimental Waves playlist will be featured until 1 June 2016. All previous playlists from 2015 & 2016 will be available in our blog archives for the life of the project, so please do explore the website for previously featured sounds.

This month’s image

Making Waves thanks graphic designer Ryan Cheney, commissioned to create the image for this month’s playlist, Experimental Waves. Visit www.ryancheney.com.au

Making Conversation

We’ve had an amazing crowdfunding adventure over the last few weeks with the launch of the Making Conversation project.  There are only 9 days left on the Pozible campaign to reach our funding target for a series of podcasts and interviews with composers around Australia.  Many thanks to the generous people who’ve pledged their support so far.  If you haven’t yet, visit the Pozible page to learn more and pledge your support: http://www.pozible.com/project/204746