It was with no small excitement that i heard a few weeks ago that US sound artist Christopher McFall was bringing out a new album. Not only is McFall one of the most captivating artists working with field recordings that i’ve ever encountered, but it’s also been no fewer than… The post Christopher McFall – I Throw The Switch On The Midnight Snake appeared first on 5:4. 5:4 is on Patreon! Please consider supporting the blog by becoming a Patron from just $2 a month: https://www.patreon.com/5against4 ..read more

Waiting for me on my doormat when i returned from Vienna a few days ago was a new CD of music by the Estonian composer Age Veeroos. i’ve been doubly excited waiting for it to arrive, partly because i was honoured to be asked to write the liner notes for… The post Age Veeroos – Outlines of the Night appeared first on 5:4. 5:4 is on Patreon! Please consider supporting the blog by becoming a Patron from just $2 a month: https://www.patreon.com/5against4 ..read more

i’m setting off this morning for a week’s vacation in Vienna. On this occasion i have no concerts in the diary at all, so for a change this will actually be a true holiday. More anon. The post Fermata Vienna appeared first on 5:4. 5:4 is on Patreon! Please consider supporting the blog by becoming a Patron from just $2 a month: https://www.patreon.com/5against4 ..read more

Another of my exciting recent Faroese discoveries, while preparing for the recent World New Music Days, is The Distance Between Us, a collaboration between composer Tróndur Bogason and the Faroes’ principal new music ensemble, Aldubáran (who were prominent during WNMD). In many respects the album’s title, and accompanying artwork, tell… The post Tróndur Bogason & Aldubáran – The Distance Between Us appeared first on 5:4. 5:4 is on Patreon! Please consider supporting the blog by becoming a Patron from just $2 a month: https://www.patreon.com/5against4 ..read more

As part of my preparation for festivals, i invariably spend time beforehand with music that’s directly related either to where i’m going and / or to what i’ll be hearing. In the case of the recent World New Music Days, this involved revisiting a lot of music i encountered during… The post Klingra – …eftir appeared first on 5:4. 5:4 is on Patreon! Please consider supporting the blog by becoming a Patron from just $2 a month: https://www.patreon.com/5against4 ..read more

Several events that i’d had high hopes for at this year’s World New Music Days turned out to be disappointingly underwhelming. Among them was the concert given by Danish choir ARS NOVA which, overall, featured surprisingly unadventurous repertoire, mostly standard text settings with almost nothing really exploring the voice as… The post World New Music Days 2024, Faroe Islands (Part 5) appeared first on 5:4. 5:4 is on Patreon! Please consider supporting the blog by becoming a Patron from just $2 a month: https://www.patreon.com/5against4 ..read more

This year’s World New Music Days was, not surprisingly, an excellent opportunity to experience that most rare and unknown quantity: Faroese contemporary music. i’ve already mentioned how a significant proportion of composers from the Faroe Islands based their work on extant musical ideas and materials, usually folk-related. However, this wasn’t… The post World New Music Days 2024, Faroe Islands (Part 4) appeared first on 5:4. 5:4 is on Patreon! Please consider supporting the blog by becoming a Patron from just $2 a month: https://www.patreon.com/5against4 ..read more

i wrote before about the way the World New Music Days acts like a hadron collider, smashing together diverse stylistic and aesthetic ideas from around the world. One of the startling truths to emerge from this violent eclecticism is that, what makes bad music bad, wherever it comes from in… The post World New Music Days 2024, Faroe Islands (Part 3) appeared first on 5:4. 5:4 is on Patreon! Please consider supporting the blog by becoming a Patron from just $2 a month: https://www.patreon.com/5against4 ..read more

A lot more than just music took place during this year’s World New Music Days in the Faroe Islands. The International Society of Contemporary Music’s series of daily committee meetings culminated in the final vote to decide about the 2026 festival. There was only one bid: China. Not surprisingly, all… The post World New Music Days 2024, Faroe Islands (Interlude) appeared first on 5:4. 5:4 is on Patreon! Please consider supporting the blog by becoming a Patron from just $2 a month: https://www.patreon.com/5against4 ..read more

Despite being primarily a chamber music festival, the concerts at this year’s World New Music Days in the Faroe Islands devoted significant time to works involving electronics. Five of these were installations, of which two were noteworthy. One was Ringar í Vatni [Rings in Water] by Faroese musician Heðin Ziska… The post World New Music Days 2024, Faroe Islands (Part 2) appeared first on 5:4. 5:4 is on Patreon! Please consider supporting the blog by becoming a Patron from just $2 a month: https://www.patreon.com/5against4 ..read more