#4237: Music Inspired by the Sea

New Sounds | May 10, 2019

Take a plunge into music inspired by the sea for this New Sounds, with works from the French chamber band astrïd, Jonsi and Alex, and Jherek Bischoff.

There's chamber-ambient music with post-rock leanings from the French chamber band astrïd, off their new record, A Porthole. The album is a series of four compositions inspired by the depths of the ocean, with each work named for species of seaweed. Listen to both "Nemalion" and "Coralina".

Then, hear music from an ocean-themed album, Black Inscription, a collaboration between violinist, vocalist and composer Carla Kihlstedt, drummer and composer/vocalist Matthias Bossi, and multi-instrumentalist/composer Jeremy Flower. Inspired specifically by the true-life tale of the free diver Natalia Molchanova and her last dive in 2015, the record was written with guidance from the folks at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. We'll hear one of their songs about bioluminescent polyps.

Listen to oceanic and cinematic music by Jherek Bischoff, a Los Angeles-based composer and multi-instrumentalist. It’s from his album, Cistern, named for an underground tank with its 45-second reverb decay, but inspired by the time when Bischoff was a teenager and his family sailed for South America on a tiny sailboat.

Also, hear the collaboration between Jon Thor (Jónsi) Birgisson, singer in Sigur Rós, together with his partner Alex Somers – released under the name Riceboy Sleeps. Listen to the piece, “Daniell In the Sea” which seems to feature breathing perhaps through an underwater respirator. All that, and music by North Carolina-based instrumental prog/punk duo Ahleuchatistas as well.

Program #4237: Music Inspired by the Sea (First aired 5/10/2019)

ARTIST: astrïd
WORK: Coralina [1:00]
RECORDING: A Porthole (I)
SOURCE: Gizeh Records
INFO: gizehrecords.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: astrïd
WORK: Nemalion[10:56]
RECORDING: A Porthole (I)
SOURCE: Gizeh Records
INFO: gizehrecords.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Rabbit Rabbit Radio (Kihlstedt/Bossi/Flowers)
WORK: Nanomia Cara [3:21]
RECORDING: Black Inscription
SOURCE: RabbitRabbit Radio 004
INFO: http://www.rabbitrabbitradio.com

ARTIST: Jherek Bischoff / Contemporaneous
WORK: the Sea's Son [7:27]
RECORDING: Cistern
SOURCE: Brassland
INFO: jherekbischoff.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: astrïd
WORK: Coralina [10:14]
RECORDING: A Porthole (I)
SOURCE: Gizeh Records
INFO: gizehrecords.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Ahleuchatistas
WORK: Requiem for the Sea [6:46]
RECORDING: Heads Full of Poison
SOURCE: Cuneiform Records RUNE 347
INFO: ahleuchatistas.bandcamp.com | waysidemusic.com

ARTIST: Jonsi & Alex
WORK: Daniell In The Sea [7:10]
RECORDING: Riceboy Sleeps
SOURCE: XL 447
INFO: xlrecordings.com | jonsiandalex.com

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