For this New Sounds, John Schaefer presents his annual highly-opinionated top 10 list of notable new music releases from 2018. Hear music inspired by science featuring cello and electronics, work for voice and electronics, music for dhol and brass, music featuring modified guitar by an upstate New York songwriter, and music that storms and swings far beyond jazz by a London-based supergroup that features two drummers, a tuba player, and a Barbados-raised reed player and bandleader.
Listen to music inspired by science, from the Austin-based composers’ lab, Golden Hornet, from the record, The Sound of Science. Composed by Graham Reynolds, hear music inspired by work of biologist Barry Chernoff for amplified cello and electronics, performed by world-renowned cellist Jeffrey Zeigler. Then, hear guitar-based “desert blues” from guitarist and songwriter, Bombino, which comes from the nomadic Tuareg people of North Africa. On his 2018 record, Deran, he celebrates his desert home of Niger, and extends wishes for peace, even has he rocks his own style of ‘Tuareggae’. There’s also music for voice and electronics by London-based Japanese singer/composer/producer Hatis Noit, who layers many tracks of her voice, but then edits them together in an ‘illogical’ way.
Hear music by folk duo Anna & Elizabeth-Anna Roberts-Gevalt (from Vermont), and Elizabeth LaPrelle (from Virginia)- who absolutely transform mountain music/kitchen music/front porch music. Listen to a tune collected from the Berkshires, discovered in Vermont in the Middlebury College archives, which they’ve turned into a soundscape, featuring the 1941 recording of Margaret Shipman. There’s also music from the brass and drums Bhangra dance-party that is Red Baraat, from their 2018 album, Sound the People.
Then, listen to music by Hudson Valley-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist David Garland, using a specially modified guitar created by his son, Kenji. Also, listen to music from Laurie Anderson in collaboration with the Kronos Quartet, from their 2018 album, Landfall.
The top three spots on this annual best of list are taken by a work inspired by a free diver who disappeared in the ocean – Black Inscription by Kihlstedt/Bossi/Flowers, chamber-pop augmented by electronics revolving around bird song from Los Angeles composer Julia Holter, and music from London-based Sons of Kemet whose double-drums, tuba, and sax attack swings as it explores well outside of jazz. John actually recorded an interview on location in April 2018, with bandleader, composer and multi-instrumentalist Shabaka Hutchings that is worth a repeat listen. - Caryn Havlik
10. ARTIST: Golden Hornet featuring Jeffrey Zeigler
WORK: Graham Reynolds: Pastaza, excerpt [4:30]
RECORDING: The Sound of Science
SOURCE: National Sawdust
INFO: nationalsawdust.bandcamp.com
9. ARTIST: Bombino
WORK: Midiwan (My Friends) [3:43]
RECORDING: Deran
SOURCE: Partisan Records
INFO: partisanrecords.com
8. ARTIST: Hatis Noit
WORK: Illogical Lullaby, excerpt [4:03]
RECORDING: Illogical Dance
SOURCE: Erased Tapes
INFO: erasedtapes.com
7. ARTIST: Anna & Elizabeth
WORK: Jeano [3:56]
RECORDING: The Invisible Comes to Us
SOURCE: Smithonian Folkways SFW 40229
INFO: folkways.si.edu
6. ARTIST: Red Baraat
WORK: Ghadar Machao [4:39]
RECORDING: Sound the People
SOURCE: Rhyme and Reason Records
INFO: rhyme-reason.com/red-baraat
5. ARTIST: David Garland, Iva Bittova
WORK: Monteverdi: Lamento della Ninfa, excerpt [3:46]
RECORDING: Verdancy
SOURCE/INFO: davidgarland.bandcamp.com
4. ARTIST: Laurie Anderson & Kronos Quartet
WORK: Dreams [4:01]
RECORDING: Landfall
SOURCE: Nonesuch 564104
INFO: nonesuch.com
3. ARTIST: Rabbit Rabbit Radio (Kihlstedt/Bossi/Flowers)
WORK: Echo and Narcissus [4:31]
RECORDING: Black Inscription
SOURCE: RabbitRabbit Radio 004
INFO: http://www.rabbitrabbitradio.com
2. ARTIST: Julia Holter
WORK: I Shall Love 1 [5:12]
RECORDING: Aviary
SOURCE: Domino Records
INFO: juliaholter.dominomart.com
1. ARTIST: Sons of Kemet, with Pete Wareham
WORK: My Queen Is Anna Julia Cooper, excerpt [3:03]
RECORDING: Your Queen Is A Reptile
SOURCE: Impulse! 6736435
INFO: Available at Amazon or iTunes