Catalog

Composer Douglas Bielmeier’s BETTY AND THE SENSORY WORLD is an enveloping musical work that soothingly twists time into a languid river of sound. Along these lines, BETTY AND THE SENSORY WORLD unfolds as one massive work that, though it may be marked in seven constituent sections, flows with very little delineation from one movement to another. This is not to say, however, that BETTY AND THE SENSORY WORLD is static or overly repetitive. Rather, Bielmeier’s creation simply exists on an atypically large scale, which demands the kind of gradual, almost furtive, evolution of musical ideas that characterizes this work.

On a starry night, we may find ourselves gazing up and contemplating our own place among the stars and galaxies that reside an unfathomable distance away. On his debut Ravello Records release, SELECTED GALAXIES, composer Samuel Pellman immerses listeners on a dreamy journey deep into the encompassing and mysterious universe in which we live. Throughout the album, the composer depicts the ominous and impressive beauty of space through the use of electronic sound generated by the Kyma System, a symbolic sound design program.

Addressing the man who greatly contributed to the theory of our evolutionary ascent, DEAR DARWIN, the second release on Ravello Records by composer Scott Brickman, explores several themes relating to Charles Darwin's studies and interests including birds, love, world travel, and human boundaries. The song-cycle Dear Darwin is set to 26 poems by Kathleen Ellis and arranged as an abecedarium. Many of Ellis' poems discuss observations of nature and human behavior, some proposing questions and others suggesting answers, while Brickman's compositions consider different relationships between the piano and the soprano voice: he places the piano in three different roles in respect to the soprano - as an imitation, as a supplement, and as harmonic support.

SIDEWALK MUSIC was originally released in 2002 and represents the composer’s quest “to write electronically-made music that communicates any number of different ideas or emotions.” The music on this release is an enticing exploration into the endless possibilities of expression through the manipulation of pre-recorded and electronic sounds.

FROM MOOG TO MAC is a collection of Deutsch's compositions for and performances on the Moog synthesizer spanning the last 30 years, from works written using the original "portable electronic music studio" to those written on the modern variations. This historic release features developmental tracks tracking the genesis and improvements on the synthesizers, in which Deutsch frequently pushes the boundaries of both musical content and technological innovation.

GODS, DEMONS, AND THE EARTH was originally released in 1995 was lauded as "awesome" (ClassicalNet) and "surreal" (Twentieth Century Music).

THE ELECTRIC PERFORMER was originally released in 1997 was lauded as "awesome" "at times Cageian and Crumbian" (ClassicalNet).

THE MCLEAN MIX: RAINFOREST IMAGES was originally released in 1993 was lauded as "awesome" (ClassicalNet) and "one of the more convincing Fast-West syntheses since Philip Glass's music for Kundun" (Twentieth Century Music).

CLUSTERS features the computer synthesis-based compositions of New York-based Hubert Howe. Howe, who was one of the first researchers in computer music, uses his vast knowledge of the subject and his studies in sound to create sprawling, atmospheric works that help expose the world of inharmonic partials and nonconventional instruments. Each of his compositions uses the properties of sound in unique ways, leading to carefully crafted and planned soundscapes. Howe’s expertise is reinforced by his accompanying text, which offers detailed explanations of the composition and implementation of each piece.