Ban Stories Of Censorship
Azica, 2025
9/10
Listen to Ban Stories Of Censorship
The global sensations Apollo Chamber Players bring their strings to these 8 pieces that highlight 7 different composers via their unparalleled attention to detail.
“The Book Of Names” opens with George Takei’s narration surrounding the graceful strings of the Marty Regan piece, and “Ban”, by Allison Loggins-Hull, follows with Loggins-Hull’s mesmerizing flute/piccolo/foot stomp adding much to the animated climate.
In the middle is where “String Quartet No. 6: FIREWALL” lands, and across 5 segments it radiates tremendous interaction that’s rich, intimate and mysterious amid Jasmine Barnes And Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton’s vision, while “Arman (Hope)” enlists Homayoun Sakhi’s rubab and Rejvinder Singh’s tabla for the cultured and textured album highlight that is a Sakhi original.
Landing near the end, “Sis Çanı / Fog Bell” benefits from Jesus Pacheco’s percussion, Melih Cevdet Anday’s poetry/narration, Gökberk Eryılmaz’s clarinet and Erberk Eryılmaz’s synth that suits the cinematic and adventurousness thanks to Eryılmaz’s song craft, and the record exits similar to how it starts, i.e. the pretty string playing of Regan’s “The Book Of Names” for string quartet.
Much like everything they’ve done, this is a stunning body of work, where Matthew J. Detrick and Anabel Ramirez’s violins, Aria Cheregosha’s viola and Matthew Dudzik’s cello emit power and grace across topical themes in a way that only they can.
Travels well with: Apollo Chamber Players- MoonStrike; Apollo Chamber Players- With Malice Towards None