Ensemble Offspring – “Offspring Bites 1” (SR, 2017)

“Offspring Bites 1” is the newest academic avant-garde and contemporary academical music album which was released yeasterday, on November 28. Album was recorded by “Ensemble Offspring” which is located in Australia. Ensemble is formed of interesting and experienced musicians – it’s Veronique Serret (violin), Blair Harris (cello), Jason Noble (clarinets), Lamorna Nightingale (flutes), Claire Edwardes (percussion) and Zubin Kanga (piano). The ensemble mostly performs the music of contemporary academical music composers, academic avant-garde and experimental music compositions. Individual and independent styles, unique playing of each member of the ensemble gently fits together in one composition. The compositions which “Ensemble Offspring” plays, usually have original and evocative sound – its music is full of rapid movements, sudden stylistic changes, different moods, characters and musical expressions. Musicians playing is passionate, emotional, deep and vivacious. They try out many different playing techniques, musical language elements, composing techniques and masterfully combine all these elements in one composition. The musical language of the ensemble is gorgeous, bright and constantly changing. This album compositions had been written by three composers – Australian composers Mary Finsterer and Tristan Coelho, and  Berlin-based Mexican composer and sound artist, Juan Felipe Waller.

Album compositions are very different from each other. Juan Felipe Waller “Detone Retune” (2014) is the first composition of the album. It’s based on various musical language elements and styles which are highly contrasting with each other. Academic avant-garde, 20th century classical music, modern composing techniques, intonations of Mexican music, inventive and interesting instrumentation and polyphonic structure and form are the main elements of this composition. The composition has interesting and unusual sound, sharp and dissonance harmony, and mostly is based on atonal music elements. The composer tries out serialism, dodecaphony, puantilism and other very well-known composing techniques and combines it with his own composing style elements. His music based on musical experiments, contrasting elements which are put against each other and special effects. Rapid, active and dynamic episodes are masterfully combined with silent and subtle episodes, which have soft and peaceful sound. Juan Felipe Waller composing style is very nright and evocative – he likes spontaneous and shocking musical decisions, innovative playing techniques, special sound effects and uses wide range of different playing techniques, expressions and styles to create expressive, vivacious and gorgeous music. His composing style is based on expresionism, post-impresionism and academic avant-garde synthesis. Australian composer Mary Finsterer has her own and unique composing style which is practically an opposite for Juan Felipe Waller. Her composing style is based on ordinary musical language, soft sound, tonal harmony, peaceful and restful melodies which mostly have simple and traditional structure. All these elements are heard very clear in Mary Finsterer composition “Silva” (2012). This composition has interesting and soft sound. Traditional and innovative playing techniques are gently combined together, usual form and structure and solis melodic and rhythmic pattern are the main elements of this composition. Mary Finsterer creates an effective and gorgeous sound with simple musical language. She effectively combines the most essential elements of her composing style – soft harmony, tonal chords, interesting instrumentation, subtle and relaxing sound and many other elements. Rhythmic and melodic elements are repeated monotonic and create a meditative, peaceful and glamorous sound of this composition. Tristan Coelho composition “read/write error” (2015) shows original and evocative composing style of this composer. His musical language is more similar to Juan Felipe Waller because of expressive melodies, absolutely different episodes combining together and interesting musical language. Tristan Coelho music is based on free musical experiments, inventive musical decisions, expressive and vivacious melodies, dramatic, silent and deep solos and other episodes which are very different from each other. ‘read/write error” has all these elements – it has expressive melodies, sharp and aggressive harmony, dynamic and constantly changing rhythmic and interesting instrumentation. Composer try out many different playing techniques by combining them into one composition. Tristan Coelho music style is based on expresionism, experimental music and academic avant-garde synthesis.

Three different compositions written by original, experienced and talented composers – each of them differs from others and has original and interesting musical language. Dynamic, contrasting, vivacious and interesting musical material, wide range of different playing techniques, musical experiments and styles create original and innovative sound of this album.