A Breath Upwards

Reviewed: 2018-03-07
Genre: General (X)
FCCs: none
Review: Music crashes in waves, then slides back & forth, constantly engaging and challenging the listener. Hong both sings & uses her voice like an additional instrument. There is a hint of electronics, but none are used
If You Like: Penderecki, Xenakis, Hannah Addario-Berry
Track Review (favorites denoted by*):
*1/ Philomel (by Milton Babbitt) (18:57) – hard chord starts> midtempo off-kilter jam & song juxtaposing instruments with snatches of voice & sung vocals> slow fade
Michael Hersh – A Breath Upwards
2/ l (1:46) – electronic-sounding start> slow & piercing with voice hitting really high registers> quick stop
3/ ll (2:29) – slow low register singing contrasts with viola, almost like a chant, with electronic overtones> quick stop
4/ lll (0:36) – trio create electronic sound
*5/ lV (2:32) – trio leap up into high pitched song & fade> morphs into slow undulating song> fade
*6/ V (3:07) – trio start> slow & dramatic, like the soundtrack for a horror movie> shrieks from Hong set the scene> quick stop
7/ Vl (2:40) – trio come in low & quiet, with almost pastoral singing> slow fade on strings
8/ Vll (1:05) – trio play slow with an electronic feel quick stop
*9/ Vlll (4:47) – trio starts & stops in hesitating opening> trio leaps into midtempo jam with vocal interplay> quick stop
10/ lX (0:57) – trio starts low & slow & fades
*11/ X (3:39) – dramatic chords from viola start> slow song with waves of music washing over & morph into electronic-sounding long drone notes with vocal overlay hitting the high registers> quick exit
*12/ Xl (6:13) – trio starts low & slow with song sliding between low & high registers> sounds like the soundtrack to a Hitchcock thriller> mellows to low registers> slow fade
13/ Xll (1:57) – trio starts low & slow with ethereal vocal over the top> quick stop