impurity chains, by Bekah Simms

impurity chains

by Bekah Simms

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Opposition Faust so Far a true masterpiece, contemporary, truly cultured music, rich in experimentation and avant-garde.
difficult to choose a favorite track among so much virtuosity!!! Favorite track: swallow/breathe.

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1.	microlattice 06:24	buy track
2.	Slept Unwell 05:59	buy track
3.	swallow/breathe 10:10	buy track
4.	Granitic 06:54	buy track
5.	"Everthing is... Distorted" 11:31	buy track
6.	impurity chains 15:20	buy track

about

For CD purchases visit: centrediscs.bandcamp.com/album/impurity-chains

NOMINATED FOR TWO JUNO AWARDS for Classical Composition of the Year

"impurity chains" is an album about influences: the joyful chaos of 21st century listening and the creative impact this can have on a composer. Each work on impurity chains is referential, whether to effects-laden popular musics, Newfoundland traditional folk music, or even other concert music of the heavier variety. In the first ever recorded collection of Simms’ music, the bounty of stimuli available in both acoustic and electroacoustic soundworlds is celebrated with some of Toronto’s finest chamber ensembles performing works with gestural vitality, nuanced timbral shadings, and a colourful array of sources that reflect Simms’ curiosity as a listener: from the turbulent and grotesque to the sumptuous and fleetingly lyrical.

Bekah Simms’ varied output has been heralded as “nuanced and complex” (NOW Magazine) and “redefining classical music” (Ludwig Van). Propelled equally by fascination and terror toward the universe, her work is often filtered through the personal lens of her anxiety. Foremost among her current compositional interests is quotation and the friction between recognizability and complete obfuscation. Her music has been performed from coast to coast in Canada, over a dozen American states, Italy, and the UK; broadcast on Montreal’s Pulsar; and included on Musicwork’s CD series. Bekah has been the recipient of over 20 awards and prizes, including the 2017 Toronto Emerging Composer Award and the 2018 Karen Kieser Prize in Canadian Music.

credits

released September 7, 2018

1. microlattice (6:27)
Anthony Thompson, bass clarinet; Adam Scime, double bass; Stephanie Chua, piano; Daniel Morphy, percussion; Pratik Gandhi, conductor.

2. Slept Unwell (5:59)
Sara Schabas, soprano; Shauna Yarnell, alto; Sean Clark, tenor; David Roth, bass; Christopher Dawes, conductor.

3. swallow/ breathe (10:10)
Madawaska Quartet: Sarah Fraser-Raff, violin 1; Jeewon Kim, violin 2; Anna Redekop, viola; Amber Ghent, cello; Scott Good, conductor.

4. Granitic (6:54)
Katherine Watson, flute; Anthony Thompson, clarinets; Lisa Hartl, trumpet; Adrian Irvine, violin; Emilie Gélinas-Noble, viola; Amahl Arulanandam, cello; Andrew Noseworthy, electric guitar; Phill Albert, electric bass; Stephanie Chua, synthesizer; Evan Bowen, percussion; Pratik Gandhi, conductor.

5. “Everything is...Distorted” (11:31)
Continuum Contemporary Music Ensemble: Leslie Newman, flute; Anthony Thompson, bass clarinet; Carol Lynn Fujino, violin; Paul Widner, cello; Gregory Oh, piano; Ryan Scott, percussion; Brian Current, conductor.

6. impurity chains (15:21)
Andrew Noseworthy, electric guitar

Producer / Réalisatrice: Bekah Simms
Recording Engineer / Ingénieur du son: Paul Talbott
Mixing & Mastering / Mixage et matriçage: Paul Talbott
Assistant Recording Engineers / Sous-ingénieurs du son: Luke Schindler, Andrew Doidge
Album Art / Couverture: Dan Tapper
Graphic Design / Conception graphique: Mark Hand
Liner Essay and Notes / Notes: Nick Storring
Translation / Traduction: Richard Maurel
Photo: Bo Huang, Photographer/Photographe; Liz Parker, Stylist/Styliste; Ivy Lam, Make-Up/Maquilleuse

Canadian Music Centre / Centre de musique canadienne: Glenn Hodgins, President and CEO / Président et chef des opérations
Centredics / Centredisques : Nicole Blain, Producer / Productrice

Recording Location / Lieu d’enregistrement: Revolution Recording, Toronto, ON

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about

Bekah Simms Glasgow, UK

The music of JUNO and Gaudeamus Award-nominated composer Bekah Simms has been heralded as “cacophonous, jarring, oppressive — and totally engrossing!” (CBC Music) and lauded for its "sheer range of ingenious material, expressive range and sonic complexity" (The Journal of Music.) Her work is propelled equally by fascination and terror toward the universe. ... more

bekahsimms.com

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