#5003, New Releases, April 2025

It’s the most wonderful time of the month, when we showcase the new releases that reached our earholes for April 2025, including music by Dutch composer Jameszoo, New York composer Elori Saxl, Montreal-based composer Philippe Massé, and Greek singer Savina Yannatou. 

Dutch composer Jameszoo (Mitchel van Dinther) operates on the edges of contemporary classical, experimental music, and jazz and with his latest record, Music for 17 Musicians, he has created a new work for 16 musicians and a self-governing Disklavier. The title is a nod to Steve Reich’s groundbreaking 1978 album on ECM Music for 18 Musicians and the lone track that has been released from Music for 17 Musicians, the movement called "(Egg Modern)", is a feisty bit of angular and motoric process music. The work was written for and performed by Dutch ensemble Asko|Schönberg, percussion group HIIIT and Jameszoo’s own “blind” group: Niels Broos (organ), Petter Eldh (electric bass) and Richard Spaven (drums). There’s also new music from New York experimental-electronic composer Elori Saxl, and her soundtrack for Texada, a VR film exploring the smallness of human existence within the grand scope of geologic time, via Texada Island's limestone-rich landscape. Hear the piece, "The Most Special Place," which serves as a final bridge between the cosmic and the intimate, leaving a lasting impression of how deeply human lives are intertwined with the ancient geology beneath our feet. (Boomkat)

Listen to new jazz-ish trio music from Montreal double bass player and composer Philippe Massé, featuring a guest oud player, which adds hints of middle-eastern music and even a drop of metal. It’s from his brand-new album, Le Vent. Then, hear music from Greek singer Savina Yannatou’s latest album Watersong – where water is both life-sustaining, and a mortal threat, (ECM Records.) Shakespeare’s The Tempest with the spirit Ariel’s song, “Full Fathom Five”, provided a starting point for Yannatou and the Primavera en Salonico band in a project in which they are also joined by Tunisian singer Lamia Bedioui.

Hear new solo music by New York based singer-songwriter and musician Will Graefe, also known as session player and collaborator with artists like Cass McCombs, Anais Mitchell, Okkervil River, and Eleanor Friedberger. Graefe has released two different albums of instrumental guitar works – one acoustic, and one electric. Listen to “Shadow Country” from the acoustic album (Vol. 2). Then, listen to new vocal music by Swiss composer-clarinetist Jürg Frey, composed for the UK vocal ensemble EXAUDI. That, and more. - Caryn Havlik

Program #5003, New Releases, April 2025 (First aired 4/30/2025)

ARTIST: Jameszoo, Asko|Schönberg
WORK: (Egg Modern)  [1:00]
RECORDING: Music For 17 Musicians
SOURCE: due out May 30
INFO: https://jameszoo.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-17-musicians

ARTIST: GoGo Penguin
WORK: Fallowfield Loops [4:44]
RECORDING: Necessary Fictions 
SOURCE: Due out June 20 via XXIM Records / Sony Music
INFO: https://gogopenguin.lnk.to/necessaryfictionsAY

ARTIST: Jameszoo, Asko|Schönberg
WORK: (Egg Modern)  [6:43]
RECORDING: Music For 17 Musicians
SOURCE: due out May 30 via Brainfeeder
INFO: https://jameszoo.lnk.to/mf17Yo

ARTIST: Pidgins
WORK: Results Oriented  [4:36]
RECORDING: Refrains of the Day, Volume 2
SOURCE: Lexical Records
INFO: https://pidginsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/refrains-of-the-day-volume-2

ARTIST: Famo Mountain
WORK: My Struggle to Survive (I Refuse to Join a Music Gang) [5:39]
RECORDING: For Those Left Behind
SOURCE: Glitterbeat Records
INFO: https://famomountain.bandcamp.com/album/for-those-left-behind

ARTIST: Will Graefe
WORK: Shadow Country [5:01]
RECORDING: Compositions for Guitar Vol 2
SOURCE: Will Graefe
INFO: https://willgraefe.bandcamp.com/album/compositions-for-guitar-vol-2-2

ARTIST: Philippe Massé
WORK: Le Vent [5:33]
RECORDING:  Le Vent
SOURCE/INFO: https://philippemasse.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Elori Saxl
WORK: The Most Special Place [3:18]
RECORDING: Texada
SOURCE: Western Vinyl
INFO: https://elorisaxl.bandcamp.com/album/texada-original-score

ARTIST: Savina Yannatou
WORK: Full Fathom Five [3:03]
RECORDING: Watersong
SOURCE: ECM Records
INFO: https://ecmrecords.com/product/watersong-savina-yannatou-primavera-en-salonico-lamia-bedioui

ARTIST: EXAUDI
WORK: Jürg Frey: Landscape of Echoes [2:43]
RECORDING: Jürg Frey: Voices
SOURCE: Neu Records
INFO: https://neurecordsbcn.bandcamp.com/album/voices