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12"
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IF 2080EP
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Laurel Halo, Donato Dozzy, and Teheran sound artist Tegh offer their Glassforms Versions alongside a new edit by Max Cooper. The works of Philip Glass are reflected and refracted in a myriad of ways by some of the most renowned electronic artists alive, making for a blissful, multi-dimensional listening experience. With Glassforms (IF 1059CD/LP, 2020), Max Cooper and Bruce Brubaker set out on an intimate, nuanced exploration of the works of Philip Glass. When approaching his remix, Donato Dozzy tapped into an inspiration to create something new rather than just reworking it, which is one of the core motives that emanates from Glassforms. "I chose 'Two Pages' for it's hypnotic feel in the notes repetition," he says, "but I did not want to merely sample the piano, but instead ask someone I trust and admire to carve it from scratch and even go further." So he followed the lead of Brubaker and Cooper and teamed up with the renowned Italian percussionist and jazz musician Daniele Di Gregorio to completely rewire "Two Pages" into a gorgeous piece of endlessly modulating ambient electronica. Laurel Halo, the second remixer on Glassforms Versions, provides a remix of "Opening", bringing to mind the string section of an orchestra tuning their violins before the performance -- forever. They glide in-and-out of tune, sometimes individually, then together, then are accompanied by keys that are most likely a ghostly representation of Brubaker's piano, sampled and pitched down, but sound almost jazzy in the context of Halo's remix. Sound artist Tegh is the third on the remix bill -- the electronic musician from Teheran delivers his take on "Two Pages", once again showcasing how versatile, how inherently complex the works of Philip Glass are. Tegh's version is a bounding, brooding piece filled with raw energy that feels like it is performed live, just for you, every single time you listen. His version is, at first, much more focused on the underlying moods, electronic undercurrents of the original than Dozzy's version, and yet, when the piano finally does break through, it becomes clear that you are listening to Philip Glass, reflected manifold. Concluding Glassforms Versions is a previously unheard edit of "Two Pages". It's difficult to edit a piece of minimalistic beauty without losing it's essence, but Max Cooper managed to bring these shorter edit into a satisfying, conclusive form.
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CD
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IF 1059CD
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Two leaders from very different musical worlds, the innovative pianist Bruce Brubaker and scientist-now-electronic-artist Max Cooper collaborate to create this latest expression of music by Philip Glass and tell a story of diversity and vulnerability. Commissioned by and introduced at the Paris Philharmonie in 2019, Glassforms melds the acoustic concert grand piano with synths and cutting-edge electronic production techniques to create a compelling album and a dynamic live experience. Rather than just reworking or augmenting via traditional means, Max Cooper and Bruce Brubaker fundamentally rewire Glass's forms in a manner that's not possible with human composition tools. Max built a new system for musical expression through coding with software developer Alexander Randon, creating a tool for taking live data from the piano and transforming it into new but intimately related forms which drive his synths on stage. The result is that each of the pieces by Glass becomes its own electronic "instrument", an instrument Bruce plays in addition to, and simultaneously with the original piece. As Bruce plays the piano and controls synths with his playing, Max modulates and augments, sometimes adding his own melodies to form hybrid variants.
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2LP
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IF 1059LP
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Double LP version. Two leaders from very different musical worlds, the innovative pianist Bruce Brubaker and scientist-now-electronic-artist Max Cooper collaborate to create this latest expression of music by Philip Glass and tell a story of diversity and vulnerability. Commissioned by and introduced at the Paris Philharmonie in 2019, Glassforms melds the acoustic concert grand piano with synths and cutting-edge electronic production techniques to create a compelling album and a dynamic live experience. Rather than just reworking or augmenting via traditional means, Max Cooper and Bruce Brubaker fundamentally rewire Glass's forms in a manner that's not possible with human composition tools. Max built a new system for musical expression through coding with software developer Alexander Randon, creating a tool for taking live data from the piano and transforming it into new but intimately related forms which drive his synths on stage. The result is that each of the pieces by Glass becomes its own electronic "instrument", an instrument Bruce plays in addition to, and simultaneously with the original piece. As Bruce plays the piano and controls synths with his playing, Max modulates and augments, sometimes adding his own melodies to form hybrid variants.
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