Markus Reuter releases digital download of his contemporary classical composition ‘Todmorden 513’

Producer, musician, composer and sound designer Markus Reuter has just released the first performance of his contemporary classical piece ‘Todmorden 513’. The piece is an algorithmic composition for live instruments and electronics. This recording of the piece is available for digital download (and on CD, see below) at http://www.markusreuter.com.

‘Todmorden 513’ is an hour-long composition based on a cycle of 513 evenly spaced chords that were strictly derived from systematic combinations of pitches and recursive definition (i.e. the repeated application of a set of rules).

As Henry Warwick explains in the liner notes, “It is a continuous movement and sequence of five hundred and thirteen harmonies and triads generated by a combinatorial compositional technique of Reuter's own design.

The notes of each harmony or triad is then fed back into the same algorithm, resulting in a progression of chords and note clusters of highly varied density, ranging from simple two note harmonies to dense twelve note chords spread across several octaves. Starting on an A flat, the sequences of pitches form a kind of melodic or thematic line throughout. The rhythms of the performing instrumental trios and quartets were derived from the chord sequences themselves, which were looped across the whole piece, mapped to the notes of each chord, then mixed together. From there it was split into three or four independent voices respectively. The result is a shifting set of harmonic densities -- at times quite spare -- ranging from a harmony of two instruments to other moments of thick and lush instrumentation."

Critically acclaimed composer Nik Bärtsch says of the piece, "The composition sounds like a totally liberated Richard Wagner after an intense week of meditation in a space station behind Mars in the year 2050."

This performance of ‘Todmorden 513’ features a string and recorder ensemble and is intended as a starting point as Reuter intends for many more performances of the work in the future.

Personnel for this original recording include Reuter, Tobias Reber, Karina Bellmann, Uta Maria Lempert, Wiebke Tschöpe, Juliane Gilbert, Ulrich Pollmann, Frieder Zimmermann, and Robert Rich.

Todmorden 513 is also an experiment in distribution: for a minimum price of 4 EUR for the download from Bandcamp, a CD hardcopy (signed if requested) will be sent to the buyer. The small cost covers shipping and handling of the CD to anywhere in the world.

Punk Sanderson is locked inside Facebook

PUNK SANDERSON,
creator of THE VICAR CHRONICLES,
locks himself in FACEBOOK

In a bizarre feat of online dexterity, Punk Sanderson, creator of The Vicar Chronicles, has locked himself in his FACEBOOK page, ranting about his boss, the enigmatic record producer, The Vicar, and trying to escape.

The Vicar Chronicles - “whodunits about the music industry” - encompass Videoblogs, Novels, Audiobooks, Graphic novels and music, based on the adventures of the mysterious, English record producer, The Vicar - “Sherlock Holmes meets Spinal Tap.” Surreal tales of lip-syncing
singers, concert sabotage, villains with Orange Eyebrows, groupies with ghosts in their bedrooms, and CDs flying out of shops.

The Vicar’s assistant, Punk Sanderson, has been squirreling away writing these stories for seven years. The first Vicar Chronicle - The Mysterious Case of Billy’s G String - was serialized online with about 7,000 readers, but, despite promises from large literary agents, two
more books, three film scripts, a proposed Channel 4 TV show, powerful music managers, album deals... absolutely nothing has happened.

So The Vicar has locked Punk into Facebook, where he will be spending the coming weeks until he has collected 10,000 fans to watch his Videobooks, the first stage in a wider launch this autumn.

Footage of Punk's Facebook lock-in can be seen at http://on.fb.me/agu2VR or via Youtube at http://bit.ly/bdDjhA.

Oteri and Laczko release next WD-41 project

Willie Oteri and Dave Laczko’s

WD-41+2

Temi Per Cinema

Following their critically acclaimed and well received 2009 release, WD-41, the duo of Willie Oteri and Dave Laczko, have teamed with the talents of beat jockey and multi-instrumentalist Dino J.A. Deane (John Zorn, Jon Hassell, Bill Frisell) and drummer Scott Amendola (Nels Cline, Charlie Hunter) for an extension of their exploratory sonic trip.

The readers of All About Jazz, the largest and most quoted Jazz publication in the world, voted WD-41 to the number 24 spot in the “Top 50 Most Recommended Reviews of 2009.” WD-41 also has reached 55 and climbing in the “Top 100 Most Recommended Reviews of All Time,” also at AAJ.

The new release, Temi Per Cinema, brings us another exciting, totally improvised, exploratory journey based on live loops by Willie Oteri with live trumpet and effects created by Dave Laczko. It will be released digitally on July 13, 2010 with the CD release following on August 24, 2010. Temi Per Cinema was recorded direct to two tracks in Oteri’s home with Deane and Amendola’s improvised tracks added later while still retaining that “live vibe.” Editing is kept to a minimum, a fade in here, a fade out there, leaving a raw energy and excitement that can only happen in an improvised setting.

Glenn Astarita at All About Jazz wrote about WD-41; “…a spacey trip; chock full of loops, streaming synth noises, and fractured sojourns into the cosmic void. The musicians fuse maniacal psychedelia with free-form improvisation. Oteri makes his guitar weep in concert with otherworldly implementations…”

Temi Per Cinema promises to take the listener even farther on this journey.

Willie Oteri’s musical versatility and talent has propelled him to collaborations and performances with J. A. Deane, Scott Amendola, Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, John Lennon), Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson, XTC), Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa), Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel), Stu Hamm (Joe Satriani, SteveVai) Ronan Chris Murphy (producer/mixer), Brannen Temple (Sheena Easton, Robben Ford, Eric Johnson), Chris Maresh (Eric Johnson, Abra Moore, Mitch Watkins), Mike Malone (Jimmy Smith) and Ephraim Owens (Erika Badu). In recent years, it is Oteri's role as an improviser, composer and band leader which has garnered him increasing notoriety, coupled with his notable unique style on guitar.

WD-41 and WD-41+2 Temi Per Cinema are available at CDBaby, iTunes, Discipline Global Mobile (DGM), and Abstract Logix.

Band web site: www.myspace.com/wd41music

EPK and downloads for review at: www.reverbnation.com/wd41

Publicity: www.pr4music.com

American Idol alum delves into progressive rock with Chicago’s District 97

District 97 just signed to premier prog rock label Laser’s Edge

Ken Golden, President of Laser’s Edge Group, announces the addition of Chicago’s District 97 to the Laser’s Edge label. The label will release the band’s debut album Hybrid Child in Fall 2010.

Featuring 2007 American Idol finalist Leslie Hunt, District 97 mixes adventurous musical prowess with accessible catchy vocal melodies. The band features exceptional musicians including Chicago Symphony Orchestra cellist Katinka Kleijn.

District 97 was formed in the Fall of 2006 by drummer Jonathan Schang, keyboardist Rob Clearfield, bassist Patrick Mulcahy and guitarist Sam Krahn. The foursome from Chicago honed a no-holds barred style of Liquid Tension Experiment inspired Instrumental Rock before deciding to add the right vocalist. They found their vocalist in Hunt, a 2007 American Idol Top 10 Female Finalist. With a look, sound and stage presence comparable to a young Ann Wilson from Heart, Hunt's dynamic performances pushed the band into a new direction. After attending a show and being highly impressed, Kleijn joined the band. She was followed shortly thereafter by one of Chicago's finest young guitarists, Jim Tashjian. With this new lineup of peerless musicianship in place, District 97 began wowing crowds and establishing a devoted fanbase through packed shows at legendary Chicago venues such as House of Blues, Schubas and Martyrs'.


For further information, go to www.lasersedgegroup.com or www.district97.net.

Trey Gunn announces new CD Modulator

Modulator is Trey Gunn with uber-drummer Marco Minnemann; but with a gigantic twist. This entire recording was composed and produced over the top of a 51 minute, live drum solo by Minnemann. Modulator is scheduled for release May 18 through 7dMedia.

Minnemann has enlisted several different musicians to create a full cd, each, from the same drum solo. No editing of the drum performance was done. All the music had to fit with what Minnemann played and, ideally, make it seems like only this drum performance could go with this music.

"This was the hardest recording I have ever taken on," says Gunn. "The challenges of this process prove the old adage that 'with great restrictions come great creative leaps'."

Watch Trey's website for updates.