Release Date: 16 February 2024
Label: Huddersfield Contemporary Rec
Packaging Type: Digipak
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 5060217670309
Genres: Classical
Description
Alluvial Gold is a bold new ecologically inspired composition for percussion and electronics developed by percussionist Louise Devenish (Speak Percussion) and composer Stuart James (Decibel New Music), in collaboration with visual artist Erin Coates, that seeks to expose listeners to the world that lies below the surface of our river systems.
Alluvial Gold is shaped by the intersection of multiple narratives embodied by and inflicted upon the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River), Western Australia and similar systems across southern Australia. In drawing upon the physical structures and historical experiences of these river systems, the impact of industrialisation following European colonisation, and the audible by-products of its living ecology, Alluvial Gold slowly unravels to reveal itself over nine interconnected movements across eleven tracks.
In each movement, different combinations of sculptural percussion-modelled on dolphin bones, native oyster shells and estuarine ecology-are brought together with vibraphone and percussion. Live electronic processing and recordings of the riverbed and water's surface-from air bubbles, shell rustles, crustacean movements, shifting algae, moss and plants-are fluidly and subtly integrated with Devenish's live performance, creating a striking sonic tapestry in constant ebb and flow, a mysterious world of floating sounds that spin off from one another, offering an immersive sonic image.
"This is a commanding exploration of the sonic world of the complex ecology of river systems, their delicate balance and the destabilizing impact industrialization continues to have." – Dusted Magazine
"Alluvial Gold proves to be a 50-minute event which not only bears repetition but gains in stature from it. The brilliance of its execution is frequently jaw-dropping but its pacing and design impress even more. […] an exciting and eminently recommendable disc." – MusicWeb International
Tracklisting
ELISION Ensemble
Ernest Berk
Mira Benjamin, Zubin Kanga, Scott McLaughlin
Louise Devenish
Carl Rosman
Riot Ensemble
Wet Ink Ensemble
Various Artists
MARTYN BRABBINS, BBC SCOTTISH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, BBC SINGERS
Anthony de Mare; Conrad Tao
Musica Gloria, Nele Vertommen, Beniamino Paganini
Vanni Moretto; Atalanta Fugiens
Karel Ancerl; Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Kartal Karagedik, Helmut Deutsch
Ryelandt Trio, Linde Verjans, Seamus Hickey
Luc Berge, Jan Michiels, Inge Spinette, Ilse Eerens
