Hear music that blurs the line between hip hop and classical composition by the tripartite group isomonstrosity (Johan Lenox - Ellen Reid - Yuga Cohler), and Russian-British composer, producer, DJ, and record label founder Gabriel Prokofiev.
Listen to hybrid experimental orchestral electronic music that possibly stretches across the many genre lines into hyperpop maximalism from Isomonstronsity, a collaborative album from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ellen Reid, conductor/software designer Yuga Cohler, and pop producer Johan Lenox, (The Fader.) In what is something of a pandemic symphony in rap and avant pop (Brassland) and an album of vocal chamber music, the methods used were much the same as how contemporary rap albums/hip hop records are made, featuring voices by various rappers and singers, and commissioned excerpts from new music composers—Bryce Dessner, Marcos Balter, Nina C Young, Wang Lu, Carlos Simon and themselves—with the orchestral parts recorded one track at a time by International Contemporary Ensemble. Listen to several selections from this chopped up, layered album.
Also, hear the Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra by Gabriel Prokofiev, the Russian-British composer, producer, DJ, and Artistic Director of the Nonclassical record label and nightclub. Inspired by the Fab Five Freddy song, “Change The Beat”, in this work, the featured turntable artist and soloist Mr. Switch samples sounds that the orchestra makes during the course of the piece: strings, flutes, yawning, throat-clearing, and other sounds. Hear the entire work over the course of the show. - Caryn Havlik
Program #4703, Hip Hop Meets Classical (First aired 1/12/23)
ARTIST: Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five
WORK: Beat Street [:22]
RECORDING: Message from Beat Street
SOURCE: Rhino Entertainment
INFO: Available at AppleMusic, YouTube, Amazon.com, Spotify
ARTIST: Keven John Edusei & Chineke! Orchestra
WORK: Dvorak: Symphony No. 9 [1:00]
RECORDING: Dvorák: Symphony No. 9, From the New world | Sibelius: Finlandia
SOURCE: Signum Classics
INFO: signumrecords.com
ARTIST: Ural Philharmonic ft. Mr Switch; cond. by Alexy Bogorad
WORK: G. Prokofiev: Concerto for Turntables, I. Introduction [1:40]
RECORDING: Concerto for Turntables & Orchestra*; Cello Concerto**
SOURCE: Signum Classics
INFO: Available at AppleMusic, Amazon.com, YouTube, Spotify
ARTIST: Ural Philharmonic ft. Mr Switch; cond. by Alexy Bogorad
WORK: G. Prokofiev: Concerto for Turntables, II. Adagietto [4:37]
RECORDING: Concerto for Turntables & Orchestra*; Cello Concerto**
SOURCE: Signum Classics
INFO: Available at AppleMusic, Amazon.com, YouTube, Spotify
ARTIST: isomonstrosity, International Contemporary Ensemble
WORK: take me back (feat. Empress Of) [2:45]
RECORDING: isomonstrosity: Johan Lenox - Ellen Reid - Yuga Cohler
SOURCE: Brassland
INFO: isomonstrosity.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: isomonstrosity, International Contemporary Ensemble
WORK:watch it burn (feat. Zacari) [3:44]
RECORDING: isomonstrosity: Johan Lenox - Ellen Reid - Yuga Cohler
SOURCE: Brassland
INFO: isomonstrosity.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Ural Philharmonic ft. Mr Switch; cond. by Alexy Bogorad
WORK: G. Prokofiev: Concerto for Turntables, III. LargoPesante [6:44]
RECORDING: Concerto for Turntables & Orchestra*; Cello Concerto**
SOURCE: Signum Classics
INFO: Available at AppleMusic, Amazon.com, YouTube, Spotify
ARTIST: Ural Philharmonic ft. Mr Switch; cond. by Alexy Bogorad
WORK: G. Prokofiev: Concerto for Turntables, IV. Andante [6:47]
RECORDING: Concerto for Turntables & Orchestra*; Cello Concerto**
SOURCE: Signum Classics
INFO: Available at AppleMusic, Amazon.com, YouTube, Spotify
ARTIST: isomonstrosity, International Contemporary Ensemble
WORK: cascades [:58]
RECORDING: isomonstrosity: Johan Lenox - Ellen Reid - Yuga Cohler
SOURCE: Brassland
INFO: isomonstrosity.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: isomonstrosity, International Contemporary Ensemble
WORK: careful what you wish for (feat. Danny Brown, 645AR, Johan Leno) [2:58]
RECORDING: isomonstrosity: Johan Lenox - Ellen Reid - Yuga Cohler
SOURCE: Brassland
INFO: isomonstrosity.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: isomonstrosity, International Contemporary Ensemble
WORK: i hope she is sleeping well (feat. Danny L Harle) [1:46]
RECORDING: isomonstrosity: Johan Lenox - Ellen Reid - Yuga Cohler
SOURCE: Brassland
INFO: isomonstrosity.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: isomonstrosity, International Contemporary Ensemble
WORK: shining (feat. Tommy Genesis) [2:27]
RECORDING: isomonstrosity: Johan Lenox - Ellen Reid - Yuga Cohler
SOURCE: Brassland
INFO: isomonstrosity.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Ural Philharmonic ft. Mr Switch; cond. by Alexy Bogorad
WORK: G. Prokofiev: Concerto for Turntables, V. AllegroGavotte [4:35]
RECORDING: Concerto for Turntables & Orchestra*; Cello Concerto**
SOURCE: Signum Classics
INFO: Available at AppleMusic, Amazon.com, YouTube, Spotify