Neo-Classical/Ambient in 2012
Doesn't seem to be as many outstading releases in this vein this year...perhaps we could collate what we've heard to build up a half-decent list (with thepossibility of completely proving me wrong). I've been a bit vague with genre (there will be some crossover with this: http://drownedinsound.com/community/boards/music/4347711) but hopefully you know what I mean.
So far one of my favourite LPs has been made by Orcas (Rafael Anton Irisarri and Benoit Pioulard) http://soundcloud.com/weareorcas/carrion. Arguably not neo-classical at all (it reminds me of Odawas) but it is well worth hearing.
Plus, I noticed that Nils Frahm and Peter Broderick had released an album under the 'Oliveray' moniker...You would've thought it would have greater exposure given both their pedigrees and the quality of the record. Album preview here: http://soundcloud.com/erasedtapes/sets/oliveray-wonders/
Finally, on an increasingly minimalistic note, always in postscipt by willamette is a lugubrious, nostalgic SOTL-like listen, highly recommended http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOOz2yZlHIM
And finally....R.I.P The Silent Ballet
- Relevant artist taggings:
- Mummy Says I'm Special »[x]
Mummy Says I'm Special
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not been listening to much in this vain
but the thomas kroner album is really good
miasmah have put out like 4 albums this year i need to listen to
http://soundcloud.com/miasmah
Check out
www.tapefear.com - most of the stuff he links to on Spotify is Neo Classical/Ambient, discovered a lot of good stuff through the site.
Thanks!
Thanks for the mention. Glad to know people are discovering new music through the site.
CFCF - Exercises
Do you know Hildur Gudnadottir?
Check out her new one (and old ones!) Leydu Ljosinu:
http://www.hildurness.com/
some good stuff in this piece by Sam Cleeve
http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4145155-hallelujah-junction--intersections-between-pop-and-classical
Gizeh have released some excellent stuff this year
and there's still plenty to come.
-Sun Amissa - Desperate in their Heavy Sleep
http://soundcloud.com/gizeh/a-sun-amissa-arm-in-arm
and
Richard Knox and Frederic D. Oberland _ The Rustle of the Stars
http://soundcloud.com/therustleofthestars
(technically first released last year but the CD has only just come out)
There's a new Richard Skelton record out too
http://www.corbelstonepress.com/verseofbirds.htm
here's a sample
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s98IdjNmltI
Seen quite a few people mention Richard Skelton
I've got that rush of excitement you get when you discover an artist you like the sound of, who has an extensive catalogue
do you know what neo-classical means?
Try me
(or get out of this thread)
Yeeeeeeeaaaah
thought as much
what?
I don't know
Anyway, isn't debating what music is part of a pretty minor, newly-formed genre pretty tedious and pointless?
i've no idea what you're talking about
neo classical is music made after the classical era that tries to sound like music from the classical era
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoclassicism_(music) says it was big between ww1&2
seems like this thread is just about (post)modern composition/contemporary classical/art music/whatever and i dunno why that would be called neo classical?
Well in yours eyes you can read this thread as:
"Contemporary classical/Ambient in 2012". Luckily, nobody else seems to have such problem working out what I am referring to.
just dunno why you'd call it that/want to call it that
Because I was ill-informed
But it hardly makes a difference, you're just being pedantic.
no, i'm not
what's the point of discussing anything if you're going to get so tetchy?
This is going on for too long
I'm tetchy because I didn't think this argument was necessary in the first place. It is a recommendations thread, in an area often underdone on DiS boards. Whether I got the genre name right isn't important. So just piss off, will you?
you're the only one arguing
silly prescriptive viewpoint
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoclassical_(New_Age)
neoclassical and contemporary classical and postmodern composition all mean the same thing
that link still means music that tries to sound like classical-era music
no it doesn't
Whenever I see the term Neo-Classical it is usually describing the kinds of music in this thread. I think it's a fairly accepted term to describe instrument/electronic produced music that has a certain dignified 'classical' poise to it. It doesn't necessarily mean that it is trying to sound like classical-era music.
Instead of linking to wikidpoodia, why don't we start linking to last.fm tag lists. YEAH?!
http://www.last.fm/search?q=neo-classical&type=tag
Who's with me on Neo-Classical Power Metal?
amazing that one of the top related tags in 'neo-classical' is...shred'
brilliant. this is the way to go, for sure.
am confused
surely neoclassical powermetal is powermetal which has big old classical cadences and counterpoint etc? not powermetal that sounds like steve reich?
I went off on a tangent there
got distracted.
Yes, you're right. But a lot of what is commonly called neo-classical, and for the purposes of this thread, is things like Stars of The Lid, Caretaker - really abstracted forms. The whole description in the neo-classical tag in last.fm actually confirms my impressions of what I and I expect most people, take it to mean.
"The distinctions between these newer styles and classical music are obvious, yet the listening test for defining music as neo-classical is this: If there is a general feeling of classical music, though the proper structure of classical music is not evident, then it is likely that the music is in the neo-classical category. Clear examples of this are in the new-age category, in which the composers often create in an extemporaneous, fairly free-form manner, yet do so attempting to create a feeling of classical music."
In short, it's more about the feeling than it is about the actual notes and how they're played.
You can divide the term into two, and you're on the conducted orchestra (for want of a better description) side of the interpretation rather than the minimalist abstracted ambient side.
good post
i'd point out that a lot of stuff that's unquestioningly called classical music doesn't involve orchestras or conductors, and that essentially by putting "neo" on the front you're both belittling the music being made and narrowing the scope of what "classical" can be, and ask where you're getting all your "usually"s and "commonly"s from, being fairly interested in all the music around this divide, and never having heard the phrase "neoclassical" except to refer to, say, stravinsky's retro tendencies, but i doubt there's much point, so don't let me take up your time
I think you're conflating
contemporary classical and neo-classical. It's the minimalist, abstracted, electronic elements that differentiate the 'Neo' - ie. it isn't trying to sound like historical classical (do you prefer 'historical' to 'conducted orchestra'), just using it as a reference.
If you're not, then how do you define the difference?
(I like me my genre taxonomy)
Can I just point out...
It's wikipedia.
they don't mean the same thing at all.
i think contemporary composition and postmodern classical essentially mean the same
do u agree w/that bud?
FFS
Hmm...I don't think they mean the same thing really
In general, contemporary classical refers to music from the late 1960s to the present day. But postmodernism isn't itself a classification of classical music like contemporary is, it's more just a strand of ideals within contemporary music.
For example: Andriessen, Ades, Birtwistle, Cage, Stockhausen, Reich are contemporary classical composers AND also important to postmodernism (despite spanning many different styles).
Then you get Knussen, Carter, Muhly, Messiaen, Boulez who are contemporary classical, yet not postmodern.
Neo-classical refers to a much earlier style of composition - around early 1900 to 1945 - of the likes of Stravinsky, Satie, Ravel, Bartok. In that respect, I suppose Nils Frahm, Dustin O'Halloran et al could be considered neoclassical as they have some similarities in aesthetic to Ravel and Satie's piano music.
Love the Orcas album
Oliveray is pretty good too, although feels more broderick guitar than nils piano overall
Olan Mill - Paths is fantastic little neo-classical/ambient album
(great Vinyl if your into that sort of thing as well)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE2Jb1jDSKY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDnMPmTPICU
Black Elk - Sparks - band members include Danny norbury and Clem Leek
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etHgnNoRQHs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTldM7sG79Q
Tiago Benzinho - has some nice stuff on it, particularly the Roses of Time 1
http://tiagobenzinho.bandcamp.com/
Annoice - black rain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB273DVCZDg
Library Tapes - Sun Peeking Through
Olafur Arnalds - Another Happy day OST is pretty good
Max Richters recomposing of Vivaldis four seasons is pretty interesting.
And although it's more of a neo-classical/post-rock/ indie thing i've got to mention A whisper in the noise - to forget, as i can't get enoug of it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixxD3l2Epec
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqTAE1hFke0
Seconding Black Elk
That album is fantastic. If you're a fan of The Blue Notebooks you'll certainly enjoy it.
Sold!
<3 Blue Notebooks
Hadn't heard this
Thoroughly Enjoying, Thanks
Still enjoying this, new EP is good too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxyBeV02TcU
the bluebeard ep
by danny norbury is really gorgeous. The six songs were composed on cello to match up with the tale of bluebeard. track 4 is really fucking lovely:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKTIpB41SGw
haeligewielle by petrels is also really great, most of the songs are built around lush ambient swells, but there also a men's choir and violin on some of the tracks, too.
http://petrels.bandcamp.com/track/concrete
the site, fluid radio is a decent source for this sort of stuff, and i would really recommend their own radio station (channel 1) for when you're in the mood for this sort-of music.
I'd never heard of Danny Norbury
and that EP sounds incredible, thanks
it is rather good
it even came with a copy of the penguin classics version of the book by Angela Carter!
if they count...
matthew shaw - seatown
jeff grace - meek's cutoff soundtrack
Richard Skelton ~ Verse of Birds
http://www.discogs.com/Richard-Skelton-Verse-Of-Birds/release/3855875
Sean McCann & Matthew Sullivan ~ Vanity Fair
http://soundcloud.com/experimedia/sean-mccann-matthew-sullivan
High Aura'd ~ Sanguine Features (maybe?)
http://vimeo.com/44369589
Alex Cobb's forthcoming Students of Decay album (stunning video this)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4Ovzq14is0&;
a closer listen
You mention the loss of The Silent Ballet, are you aware of http://acloserlisten.com/ where a few of the writers have ended up?
I wasn't aware
So thanks a lot!I think I read somewhere they would let us know where some writers were moving to, but I failed to check up on that.
Very impressed
At first I was a bit confounded, not knowing which records to try out first...but I'm just making my way through each excerpt given with each review and there's some cracking stuff.
Just listening to this from the 'let's follow each other on soundcloud' thread
and it is really good
http://soundcloud.com/adam-vallance
free download on his bandcamp too
with a new mini EP available here...
http://adamvallance.bandcamp.com
/JAG. Thanks!
Kyle Bobby Dunn
Very SOTL-esque but some tracks are up there with their best work I reckon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btf9UT9RLAw
http://open.spotify.com/album/1Ovkskq7I0XH0ULWKh8fph
been a dull year for it
but yuki murata (of anoice, rilf) should be releasing an album this year
The label Neo-Classical always makes me think of Yngwie Malmsteen gurning like an idiot with balled up socks stuffed down his lycra nightmare.
I am looking forward to the recomposed Vivaldi by Max Richter.
I've just had a copy of the Max Richter through today and it's absolute magic... and it looks like someone's uploaded it concerto by concerto to YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMUYEKZt2Og&feature=relmfu
Barbican—Oct 31: http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=13711
Thank You!
I HAVE to go to this show!
Infra as well!
Just listened to the whole of the Vivaldi reworking on YouTube
It's fantastic.
Had my first listen last night, was worried it would be too in your face
Shouldn't have worried. Very Richter-esque, really liked it.
Ben Frost and Daniel Bjarnason - Solaris
Nico Muhly - Drones EPs
Both very good!
There's a nice new Library Tapes album as well, and Pleq has released some interesting ambient/drone albums this year.
HELP NEEDED.
I love new 'classical-y' shit - Norbury, Richter, Arnalds, all that, but i have zero time for 'ambient' music.
Can someone point me in the direction of stuff i'll like from above, save me having to spend all day trawling through shite?
Cheers.
most of the stuff i mentioned up there is fairly straightforward modern classical
particularly black elk - (also worth checking out Clem Leeks solo stuff - lifenotes is a good start)
and Tiago Benzinho
Ryan Teague - Field Drawings is another good one from this year
and if you talking pre 2012 stuff
the tumbled sea
sylvain chauveau
greg haines
chaz knapp
motohiro nakashima
teruyuki nobuchika
dmitry evgrafov
worrytrain
kashiwa daisuke (88 - other stuff is electronic, genius but electronic)
sophie hutchings
rafael anton irassari
nils frahm (probably an obvious one)
Well from 2012
Definitely check out Black Elk (mentioned above).
But....no ambient at all? How do you feel about Tim Hecker? Hammock? Just Drone in General?
I'm guessing you've no doubt heard it
but A Winged Victory for the Sullen neatly crosses both the ambient and the classical side of things. If you like that, try Stars of the Lid?
anyone got any good 2012 ambient playlists/mixtapes?
Really interesting interview with Daniel Bjarnson & Ben Frost
about their Solaris project. Well worth a read: http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1720
Haven't listened to the album yet but excited to hear it now.
A new mini-album from Nils Frahm
Screws, free download and everything. Very nice.
http://screws.durtonstudio.com/
Yeah
so this thread's amazing. Popped some on a spotify playlist here: http://open.spotify.com/user/sheeldz/playlist/1tzYEgZzn1F2pzmtuHb3X3 and that site Tape Fear is fucking amazing. Can't wait to use it more.
Yeah, this page: http://acloserlisten.com/category/modern-composition/
is basically what I wanted this thread to be about. Has anyone heard the Insa Donja Kai album yet?
You might like this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIJJXBtANjM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERFT60kXAFY
http://soundcloud.com/cyrusreynolds/sets/cyrus-of-the-sun/
Again, regarding a closer listen...
Of the things I've picked up from there, this is one of the best, and free here: http://www.johnaulich.co.uk/blog-2/index.html
Suite 001
Thanks for the mention, mate!