Kim Koschka "Bella Maniera" Psychotropic Records 2002 2001 (63:41)
Allegro
Vivace (7:51)
Garcia Lorca (6:06)
Impromptu for a Friend in China (9:31)
Nairobi 2061 (6:47)
Fibonacci Dub (12:44)
The
Terminal Beach (10:32)
Homage
a Morton F. (10:10)
In the liner notes of "Bella Maniera" (Italian for the "Beautiful Way"), Japanese born composer Kim Koschka explains her Renaissance era manierist approach for this album. Simply put, it's a de-contextualization of disparate styles which are then juxtaposed in new ways. One listen and it's obvious that Koschka knows a thing or two about composing, from traditional to avant-garde, so the task is easily within her grasp. The seven tracks range from 6 to nearly 13 minutes and they busily mix and match all sorts of modern styles - drum 'n bass, ambient, dub, classical, hip hop, etc. - and sounds - piano, harpsichord, mellotron, organ, mini-moog, synclavier, synths, samples, spoken texts, etc. - that might not normally go together. The results are mixed, always coherent and dynamic, but sometimes a bit cheesy while at other times quite brilliant. The three with subtitles happen to be the most striking and make the disc worth owning. "Allegro Vivace", 'drum 'n bass for grand orchestra', is just that, a clever explosion of d n' b rhythms laced with piano, horns and other orchestral instrumentation. "The Terminal Beach", 'permutazione for chamber ensemble', is of course based upon (and borrows lines from) the book of the same name by science fiction writer J.G. Ballard. Here Koschka conjures up a dramatic amalgamation of beats, break downs, piano flurries, dancing bells and woodwinds in varying tempos. "Homage a Morton F.", 'ambiento con una frase for chamber orchestra', is obviously an homage to legendary NYC based composer Morton Feldman. Slowly piecing together piano chords, strings, harpsichord strums and a slow jazzy rhythm, the highly cinematic track is a fitting conclusion ...
Kim Koschka at Psychotropic Records
Where did I get this cd? - promo.