Hear three songs without words in works featuring the voice as instrument by vocalist/composer Lesley Flanigan with Recap Quartet, American-born, Ireland-based multi-instrumentalist Peter Broderick, and Dutch sound artist Rutger Zuydervelt who records as Machinefabriek.

From Recap’s brand-new album, Count to Five, hear a work by vocalist and composer Lesley Flanigan. “Hedera” is for many layers of Flanigan’s voice singing single, wordless vocal syllables and featuring adapted/arranged percussion from Recap. Flanigan’s original contained digitally-created percussion, but these carefully designed crescendos of tom-tom drums and other percussion from Recap serve as a balance to the swirling and floating ooo’s, then ahs and eventually ehs, creating a grounding sensation.
Recap plays their record release show on Wed., Sep. 29, at Tenri Cultural Institute.

Then, listen to Ireland-based singer-songwriter Peter Broderick’s ambient odyssey based on the song title and theme, ‘The Wind That Shakes The Barley.’ Broderick retitles the song, “The Wind That Shakes The Bramble” combining in his obsession with and devotion to the blackberry plant which he sees as "an incredible symbol of resilience," (Bandcamp liner notes.)

Plus, listen to work by Machinefabriek, the moniker of Dutch musician, sound artist, and graphic designer Rutger Zuydervelt. On the 2019 record, With Voices, a collection of vocalists recorded their reactions to the same base track and those parts became the starting points for the pieces on this album. From this collection, hear a work featuring the American singer/songwriter Marissa Nadler. - Caryn Havlik

Program #4542, Songs Without Words (First Aired 9/27/2021)

ARTIST: Machinefabriek ft. Marissa Nadler
WORK: With Voices VIII, ft. Marissa Nadler [1:11]
RECORDING: With Voices
SOURCE: Western Vinyl
INFO: machinefabriek.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Recap Quartet
WORK: Lesley Flanigan: Hedera [20:26]
RECORDING: Count to Five
SOURCE: Innova Recordings
INFO: innova.mu/albums/recap/count-five

ARTIST: Peter Broderick
WORK: The Wind That Shakes The Bramble [21:38]
RECORDING: The Wind That Shakes The Bramble
SOURCE: Erased Tapes
INFO: peterbroderick1.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Machinefabriek ft. Marissa Nadler
WORK: With Voices VIII, ft. Marissa Nadler [8:36]
RECORDING: With Voices
SOURCE: Western Vinyl
INFO: machinefabriek.bandcamp.com