ICEBREAKER
The Rogue

Fy 7002

8021750700226
Newtone Records

 

Rogue's Gallery is the new recording of the British group ICEBREAKER one of the best and most interesting New Music band in UK. ICEBREAKER was born in 1989, looking for a new kind of contemporary music, tired of English composers who wrote operas about sheep. Their first direction went to Holland and to Louis ANDRIESSEN in particular, whose music was the perfect antidote to the official contemporary music scene in London. In the CD you will hear the 1991 live recording of one of the best known and important ANDRIESSEN's composition: Hoketus. A 1977 score for two identical instrumental groups (panpipes, saxophone, two pianos, bass guitar and congas), the piece gives a good idea of the composer's sound world, influenced both by the American Minimalism and Jazz, and by the European Early Music tradition. ANDRIESSEN has been a very seminal influence on the newer generation of composers, in England in particular. Among his many students Steve MARTLAND is certainly one of the most original and strong. About Shoulder to Shoulder (1986), a composition of his included in the CD, MARTLAND himself wrote: ÇThe compositional subject is explained by the title which also dictates the playing technique and relates to the fundamental principle of the political work... solidarityÈ. In his arrangement John Godfrey gave to the score a fresh sound, changing the Çplaying togetherÈ to something more individualistic and virtuosic. John GODFREY, one of founder of the ICEBREAKER and composer himself, is Euthanasia and Garden Implements (1990) has been one of the first pieces specially written for the group. The other two compositions come from two American composers. The opening title is Michael TORKE's Vanada (1984). Written when the composer was still a student, based on two characters by Vladimir Nabokov's novel Ada, the piece is interesting for his mixture of classical American Minimalism technique with more pop harmonies. An element that is characterising the great part of the today's generation of post-minimalist. The newest composition on the CD is David LANG's Cheating, Lying, Stealing (1995). Founder with Michael Gordon and Julia Wolfe of the Bang On A Can Festival, in his piece LANG the city noises and rhythms with repetitive elements. The result is a very funky score that ICEBREAKER play at their best, with energy and a not common strength.