Archaeopteryx Flies Today
Today is the day our feathered friends burst from their cages and fly (or run) free! Our first album in 7 years, Archaeopteryx, is out today, and we’re so thrilled to finally share it with you in its full glory.
(Cross-posted from Nonsemble.com.au)
This album has been many, many years in the making. Some of the earliest versions of these pieces appeared as early as 2016, when we first began experimenting with new combinations of live electronics and strings.
The first of them to be fully completed was Archaeopteryx, the eponymous closing track on the album. Written for the full 7-piece, this new work was more embodied and visceral than our previous work, taking the slight prog-rock bent that had always existed in our work and leaning right into it.
The following period of development coincided with a period of new opportunities to explore our strings and electronics combinations. As we developed pieces for this new format, Archaeopteryx inspired a rich creative vein of channeling long-extinct birds, and each new idea took shape as a composition in the image of a species that intrigued our imaginations.
Nonsemble performing Arcaheopteryx at Queensland Museum, 2021. Photo by Reuben Fenemore
Nonsemble performing Arcaheopteryx at Queensland Museum, 2021. Photo by Reuben Fenemore
Strings and live electronics as a performance combo have little in the way of established norms and conventions. For us we settled into a configuration of string quartet with the Ableton Push, a pad controller that allows us to explore all sorts of real-time playing, sample-triggering, finger-drumming, and effects control. We are always navigating between two dangers: on one side a wooden karaoke backing for the strings to play over; on the other, an overbearing live electronics show where strings float along as an ambient background. The most exciting moments are where the electronics and strings are highly co-ordinated, interdependent, and responsive to one another - in these flashes of magic the compositions grew.
Not all of these musical ideas began attached to a long-dead winged creature. The main melodies of Argentavis were written for a live music and yoga session; and parts of Phorusrhacos first appeared in a one-off audio-visual mixed-reality performance collaboration. But given an ancient avian title, each followed a compositional direction that led towards it taking on the imagined characteristics of its prehistoric namesake.
George Levi’s stunning Illustration of Argentavis Magnificens
Pelagornis soars gently through layered melody on its enormous 5m wingspan, buffeted by winds of fuzzy ambience. Phorusrhacos stampedes rhythmically across a plain of synths and sampled percussion. Harpagornis, the enormous Haast’s Eagle, is the solo violin riding the currents of heavily textured strings over the mountains of ancient Aotearoa, with thumping percussion entering as it finally dives for its prey. Argentavis invokes aching lyrical melody as it glides in flocks filling the South American skies, barely able to beat its wings due to their gargantuan size. And finally, the rhythmic flap of freshly evolved flight feathers is captured in the frenetic interplay of Archaeopteryx, the first known bird.
George Levi’s stunning Illustration of Argentavis Magnificens
This album represents an enormous team effort from all of the regular Nonsemble crew, occasional guests, helpers and friends. Our recording quartet for this release was Flora Wong (violin), Sam Andrews (violin), Kieran Welch (viola), and Hannah Harley (cello), who nailed most of this record in a single epic day of recording. Our other cellist Briony Luttrell lent crucial production assistance to that session and also braved the titanic task of editing the string recordings. Julianna Kim, our violinist/violist, rehearsed and performed these pieces in the crucial development stage, so was an important player in their growth and refinement. And of course, our amazing drummer Hik Sugimoto and incredible pianist Cara Tran only appear on the closing title track of the album, but are there in spirit the whole way through. It’s also important to mention that in addition to nailing violin parts, our ensemble manager Flora Wong works tirelessly behind the scenes to keep us organised, and Sam Andrews keeps our accounts in order.
The legendary George Levi has brought our birds to life in the gloriously rich illustrations you see on the single and album covers. We have also been so fortunate to be able to connect with the Queensland Museum, giving a memorable performance of Archaeopteryx in the midst of the dinosour exhibit, and benefiting from expert paleontological perspectives from senior curator, Dr. Scott Hocknull.
Dan Kassulke took us into his studio at late notice and captured our strings beautifully. Joss Rigby lent an expert ear and advice at the mixing stage. Marly Lüske crafted a sensitive and polished master. University of Queensland School of Music, with whom we enjoy an “affiliate ensemble” status, has generously supported our work, providing rehearsal space, recording facilities, and valuable opportunities to road test these works in concert.
I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we’ve enjoyed making it for you.