I was sure I have been talking about this composer in topic of "classical" or "modern music" or something, but search didn't give any results.
Was listening Aerial CD yesterday, and I must say it must be THE best orchestral art music I have hear for ages. Was recommended by friend who heard it in Finnish radio when it came out (2015) and I grabbed my copy pretty much instantly after it. Out of many CD's, this is still something what after few years seems best thing done since the works by veterans...
Aerial CD was published by huge company, Deutsche Grammophon, owned these days by Universal. So it should be available pretty well on CD format. What is mindblowing, when talking about person who is currently Composer-in-Residence with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and praised by New York Times level papers, getting awards etc.. and then... where you get the stuff? Fucking iTunes and youtube mostly... Probably have to check the dealers today, if situation has changed. Couple years ago, nothing beyond Aerial was ever available.
Opening piece of CD, composition for 4 percussions and 7 brass. If you got proper speakers with heavy duty BASS frequency possibilities, this is the stuff where it is serious advantage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmciDtpWnxYThis track is almost like ritual music found from Aural Hypnox catalogue or such. It's almost too bad that the aesthetic of the players is the usual suit & tie orchestra. Stuff like this makes me wonder should I once in a while stock some contemporary music titles along all the sleazy noise stuff, hah..
Check the live material from the CD compositions. Massive, dark and slow symphonic sound. All about texture and drifting colossal elements of sound:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-iil3YYp5EShe has also bandcamp where earlier work can be heard:
https://annathorvalds.bandcamp.comSolo piano tracks on the Rhizoma CD are brilliant. Occasionally nearly dark ambient sounding gloomy percussive sounds.
For example: Hidden - Inwards track.
The amount of sheer garbage I have waded through over the years in field of "new music", is probably worth due handful of composers and releases that live up to the actually creating this good material. If you're not ready to spend time with going through material, but go straight to the best, I'd say Aerial CD is something one needs to have in collection among the best known avant-garde composers.
Aequa CD should be available now. Didn't notice it came out half year ago, so probably still in print. Based on short sample listening, seems a notch more "normal", orchestral sound.
http://www.annathorvalds.com/
