Mind Like Water
New Focus Recordings, 2024
9/10
The esteemed composer Yu-Hui Chang presents 3 ensemble pieces and a lone solo piece here, where the Lydian String Quartet, Dinosaur Annex Music Ensemble, Composers Conference Ensemble and Rhonda Rider flesh out the constrasting and expressive selections.
“In Thin Air” starts the listen with the Dinosaur Annex Music Ensemble highlighting the anxious energy that bursts with atypical rhythms and non-pitched percussive bouts, as Gabriela Diaz’s strategic violin and Robert Schulz’s iconoclastic percussion complement Donald Berman’s colorful keys.
The middle belongs to the Composers Conference Ensemble, where a distinct intimacy radiates via Barry Crawford’s flute/piccolo, Benjamin England’s bass clarinet, Adda Kridler’s violin and Chris Gross’ cello, while “Mind Like Water” uses the Lydian String Quartet for 13+ minutes of space and vigor populating the cinematic and climactic strings.
The record exits with Rider’s meticulous cello across “Alter Ego”, as 3 segments allow for purposeful tinkering, off kilter phrasing and elegant string manipulation.
Chang’s resume includes a wide variety of music, and this modern chamber and classical inspired outing certainly continues her cultured, stylish and complex vision with much appeal.
Travels well with: Douglas Boyce- The Bird Is An Alphabet; David Shapiro & The Crossing- Sumptuous Planet