New year, new list! Check out some of the albums released by our brilliant and inspired Alumni in December.
Ha! compagnons – Elodie Bouchard and Anthony Harvey (Immersive Sound Art)
Released December 4, 2020
Ha! compagnons takes the listener back to a time when the voice and the lute were the true companions in the quest for poetic and musical expression. Soprano Elodie Bouchard (MMus’19) and lutenist Anthony Harvey (MMus’20, current DMus) offer vivid and colourful interpretations of air de cour, ayres and monodies by 17th-century composers Giulio Caccini, Thomas Campion, Sigismondo d’India, Claudio Monteverdi and Etienne Moulinié. Thanks to the innovative work of Tonmeister Ephraim Hahn (MMus’19) and his team, Ha! compagnons will be available in the immersive sound formats Auro-3D and Dolby Atmos together with a conventional stereo and an immersive binaural mix for headphones, all wrapped up in a beautiful album cover designed by Justin Luchinski (BMus’18, MMus’20).
Refractions – Patrick Graham
Released December 2020
Refractions is a first step in a new direction. Since the beginning of the global crisis that started in early 2020, like many artists, Patrick Graham (BMus’95) had been struggling to come to terms with the almost complete shut-down of live performances. In reaction to the current situation, he turned a lot of his attention to creating at home, recording and mixing. 'Refractions' is the result of these explorations, an EP of music that was recorded, mixed and re-mixed during the last 8 strange months. It marks Patrick’s first foray into taking control of the technical aspects of his own music, working primarily from home, using a mix of acoustic percussion sounds and digital mixing techniques. It's an album best experienced with a good set of headphones in a quiet space.
Jeu d'ombres – Mathieu Soucy
Released December 10, 2020
The suite itself takes the form of a call for celebrating togetherness. It is thus of no surprise if it unfolds as a collaboration by Mathieu Soucy (BMus'19) with Sarah Rossy (BMus'17 MMus'19), Jeanne Côté (MMus'20) and Louis Stein (BMus'16) with recording, mixing and mastering done by Alex Bohn (MMus'20). Éluard’s and Baudelaire’s poetry shine forth in a dialogue between Sarah Rossy’s compelling voice, melodies and harmonies evoking a turbulent ethereal space, Jeanne’s natural willingness to get lost in order to discover a new self and Louis’ eye that grounds itself in the soil that opens up under his untired look.
That’s all for our December Release Radar! And don’t forget – if you’re part of the Schulich community and are looking forward to January and February releases, let us know to be featured in the next Release Radar! Email us at publicity.music [at] mcgill.ca.
