There was for a short time a section of Disquiet.com called the 4D, which quickly transformed into the site’s long-running Downstream section. This is the 4D entry for September 30, 2003 — the last 4D entry before the Downstream debuted:
Scanner …
For the three free-improvising women of Mephista everything is in play, from instrumentation to the listener’s perceptions. An illusion persists throughout Black Narcissus (Tzadik) that more than three people are performing, thanks to the members’s broad range of techniques. Pianist …
In the liner notes for Memoryhouse (Late Junction), composer Max Richter explains the name of one piece, “Last Days,” as follows: “The title refers to the concept that our culture is living beyond the end of history.” It’s evident from …
On 8 Guitars (Quecksilber), the music chugs along like a minimalist locomotive. It builds steam within minutes, and then maintains its pace intently. Fans of the monastic repetitions of Steve Reich and Terry Riley, not to mention of Philip Glass …
Quick Bits: (1) Though an exhibition of French sound experimentation has since closed, it continues to be available online. The Crossfade website (crossfade.walkerart.org) is hosting “33 RPM: Ten Hours of Sound from France,” curated by Laurent Dailleau and …
Through layers of braces and shyness, Harry Altman asks,
Do I sound like a musical robot?
That’s from Spellbound, the charming documentary about spelling bees, reportedly due for release on DVD next month.