Take a break from holiday music and explore a few of the Schulich community鈥檚 fantastic releases from the past few months in our end-of-year roundup. As always, be sure to publicity.music [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Schulich%20Release%20Radar) (let us know by email) if you're a Schulich community member and releasing an album soon!聽
The F Line聽鈥撀燜rancis Lehoux (self-release)聽
Released November 12, 2019聽
First up in our November releases is pianist-composer Francis Lehoux聽(BMus聽'16,聽BArts聽'19,聽MArts聽'12)鈥檚 debut album The F Line. Lehoux is not the only Schulich alumnus聽featured on this album: it was聽recorded and co-produced by Sarah Shin-Wong (MMus 鈥�17)聽in Redpath Hall聽and features arrangements by Geof Holbrook (MMus 鈥�06).聽
The music is exactly how it鈥檚聽described: filled to the brim with minimalist, romantic, haunting, and cinematic themes聽folded into rolling melodies and sensitive performances. A particular聽favourite聽of ours is the enchanting track 鈥淚n the Meantime鈥� featuring the distinguished Warhol Dervish string quartet. Listen below聽with an exceptional video by St茅phane聽Moukarzel. Prepare to be transported!聽
Nostalgia and Other Fantasies聽鈥撀燗aron Dolman (self-release)聽
Released November 22, 2019聽
There鈥檚 a unique chemistry between the five musicians on drummer, composer, and bandleader Aaron Dolman鈥檚 debut album. Dolman (BMus '19) has combined his love of jazz and his love of folk music into thirteen original tracks for drums, viola, upright bass, and two guitars鈥攑lus some other surprising sounds. Zacharie Bachand聽(BMus 鈥�19), on bass, is also a recent 麻豆AV grad.聽Dedicated to the nostalgia 鈥渟tirred up when sifting through old family photos, driving though the Canadian Prairies, or sitting by a quiet lake at midnight,鈥� this album is full of warm soundscapes, lilting tunes, and slow but irresistible grooves. Dolman鈥檚 compositions make this unusual ensemble feel like a seamless whole, from short mood-setting tracks like "Stars in a Midnight Lake" to extended forms like "Memory is an Anchor."
Hear Aaron talk more about the album鈥檚 theme and his collaborators:听
Dinosaurs and the Solution 鈥� Rising Rain (self-release)聽
Released November 25, 2019聽
From a jazz rock band composed entirely of Schulich students and recent alums comes聽Dinosaurs and the solution, a new EP geared towards revolution in a world 鈥渙wned by dinosaurs.鈥� Rising Rain is led by guitarist Ben Gilbert, who composed these four extended tracks for brass, saxophone, guitar, bass, and drums. The album embraces everything from exquisite stillness to rising chaos with聽evocative mixing and mastering by current 麻豆AV students Nigel Ali-Digweed, and Ben Barton Creelman. 鈥淩evolution: Alone,鈥� with its backdrop of ocean sounds, speaks especially well to the album鈥檚 cause:听30% of its revenue will go to the聽Unist'ot'en聽camp of the聽Wet'suwet'en聽nation, who are currently re-occupying their聽unceded聽lands, and in doing so halting the construction of three pipelines. Learn more about their cause at .
鈥淎 major theme of the EP is the climate crisis and the oil industry.聽In an attempt to聽throw a positive spin on an otherwise dark subject, watch聽Alberta's聽tar sands fly by until they are replaced by forests and nature.鈥�
The Wild Swans 鈥� Isabelle David and Yolanda Bruno (self-release)聽聽
Released December 13, 2019聽
Standout 麻豆AV alumnae聽Isabelle David聽(BMus 鈥�11)聽and Yolanda Bruno (BMus '11) focus on fantasy, folklore, and storytelling in their debut album.聽Similar to聽meagan&amy聽(see below), they are a piano and violin duet formed at 麻豆AV that lasted far beyond graduation. The repertoire for the album is all by women from a variety of traditions, sometimes with a twist鈥擧ildegard von聽Bingen's聽O Virtus聽Sapientie聽has been arranged to include enchanting improvisations by guest artists on oud and kanun. The album shows the duo鈥檚 commitment to contemporary music and Canadian music specifically; it features a premiere recording of 鈥淏eyond Time鈥� by聽Alexina聽Louie and newly commissioned work 鈥淭he Swan Parapraxis鈥� by Kelly-Marie Murphy, both leading lights in Canadian music. David and Bruno鈥檚 polished, heartfelt, skillful performances are an essential addition to the recorded literature.聽聽
Learn more about聽Alexina聽Louie and other composers featured on聽The Wild Swans:听
In case you missed these September releases:听聽
搁辞辞迟蝉听鈥撀爉别补驳补苍&补尘辫;补尘测听(蝉别濒蹿-谤别濒别补蝉别)听
Released on September 1聽
The new album from Meagan聽Milatz聽(BMus聽'15, MMus聽'17) and Amy Hillis (BMus聽'12, DMus聽鈥�19) album presents highlights from the program of their ongoing聽50-concert tour across all thirteen Canadian provinces and territories. Appropriately, the album focuses on what it means to be Canadian, and how Canadian classical music,聽鈥渨hile inspired by composers of centuries past, continues to develop its own Canadian character.鈥� The duo鈥檚 commitment to innovative programming shows clearly in an excellent selection of pieces by Mozart, Debussy, Messiaen, and Canadian composers David L. McIntyre and Andr茅 Mathieu.聽Milatz聽and Hillis are both musical powerhouses, and their ensemble radiates flawless coordination and contagious enthusiasm, especially in the contemporary pieces. The music was expertly recorded by Schulich alumnus Ephraim Hahn and Professor Martha聽de Francisco.聽
Watch the album teaser聽featuring聽Pollack Hall and one of Montreal鈥檚 public pianos:听
Reinventions聽鈥� Karl Schwonik (Chronograph)聽
Released September 27
Ten years after Karl聽Schwonik聽(BMus 鈥�09)鈥檚 debut album , the band and producer have reunited for Reinventions. The album, inspired by the band and member鈥檚 relationships and journey over the past 10 years, features re-imagined throwbacks to 鈥淰isions聽From聽The Farm鈥� (such as 鈥淔urnace Man鈥� and 鈥淕reen Line鈥�) as well as original tracks.聽聽
Upon listening, there鈥檚 no denying the group's chemistry. Each musician is given ample opportunity to showcase their creativity within聽Schwonik鈥檚聽compositions and their ensemble work is strong. We look forward to what their 20-year reunion album will bring us!聽
Listen to the album on YouTube:听
Are you a Schulich community member and releasing an album soon? publicity.music [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Schulich%20Release%20Radar%20Submission) (Email us to let us know). We loved hearing from you in 2019, so keep the albums coming in 2020!
