Harp Mix Tape VI

 

It is officially fall. The rains have begun, so this week's mix is a bit more low-key.  It's mostly acoustic, but there is still some electronic manipulations of sounds.  There's solo harp, harp with cello, harp with flute, and harp with drones.  

As always, to purchase or listen to the albums heard here in full, click on any of the links in the notes below. To hear this playlist on BNDCMPR where you can purchase the individual songs, head to Harp Mix Tape VI. Enjoy...

First up, composer Adrian Ehrlich brings us a haunting suite composed for harp and cello. Played by harpist Katri Tikka and cellist Hsin-Di Shih, it reminds me a little of Rachel's or some of Debussy's later work. It is definitely perfect to start off autumn. The album is called Between the Shine & the Shadow.

And then we have another composer, Solti Árpád, who has written more experimental orchestral music here.  This suite is all over the map - from delicate solos and duets to full electronica. The album is called Shut It Down.

The next suite is from a live album by Heidi Lehwalder from the 80s.  It is straight up regular solo "classically trained" harp. She has such a good, strong sound! This flute and harp suite by Persichetti is a neat modern work with pedal slides and some more modern "noise-making" techniques, as well as prettier movements with syncopation. This track is not available for individual purchase, and I do recommend the whole album 2nd St. Y. For solo harp, you can't go wrong with Hindemith!

heare (Caroline Campbell x heare) gives us some eurorack modular synth drone and harp, and I'm here for it. This track is from their ep roem along with a remix and a couple live tracks.

Next we have a reworking by Jim Perkins of harp and electronics played by Floraleda Sacchi. It is a calm and peaceful listen from the album Pools Re-works.

Lastly, we have a cover of Philip Glass, which works really well on the harp.  Julia Rovinsky's album Dusk is a mix of standard harp repertoire and modern works by the likes of Harold Budd/Brian Eno and the aforementioned Philip Glass. 

Harp Mix Tape V

 

This week we're veering a little more back in experimental territory. One other thing that a lot of these track have in common is it is difficult to distinguish what that actual artist's name is from how it's listed in bandcamp. To purchase or listen to the albums heard here in full, click on any of the links in the notes below. To hear this playlist on BNDCMPR where you can purchase the individual songs, head to Harp Mix Tape V. 

Cyclea + Bell Toll is first up with harp over uneven beats that reminds me somehow of autechre. The album is called Zeropisces, a collaboration with harpist Kathy Fay (Bell Toll) and Jonathan Jindra (Cyclea) on electronics.

DJ SENSESCAPE (listed as Ricardo Huisman, silent noise production) uses harp loops over lots of mechanical noises and possibly field recordings. I like it, I'm not sure it's playable by a person as opposed to a computer. Both tracks are good and I had a hard time deciding which to post. You can hear why on the EP Sense Harp Scapes.

Wend creates a lovely wall or wave of sound with harp (of course) and vocals weaving in and out. This is a relaxing albums aptly titled Meditations.

Zeena Parkins plays a very avant-garde processed harp. This could sound like confusing noise, but she is so skilled it is incredibly compelling. She is much more prolific than bandcamp would suggest.   Captiva is her most recent solo work.

Markus Guentner (on the label A Strangely Isolated Place) makes a wash of glisses from the harp over what sounds like recordings of space. This is the only track on Empire with harp, played by Tom Moth.

The Cloisters, also known as Michael Tanner/Plinth, gives us a spare, muted solo harp over the wind  whistling outside, that transforms into a ghostly and otherwordly chorus. The album is Little Winter.