Hush
New Focus, 2024
9/10
The esteemed flutist Roberta Michel brings us new works for solo flute, where electronics by several artists enter the 5 involved pieces.
Jane Rigler’s “Red” opens with Michel’s animated piccolo that swirls with extended gestures of high register dynamics, and “And For You, Castles”, by Victoria Cheah, follows with Michel’s hazy flute amid Victoria Cheah’s atmospheric electronics via the microtonal climate.
Jen Baker’s “The Great Bridge And A Lion’s Gate” arrives at the halfway point and flows with an energetic demeanor and atypical rhythm, while "Quintet”, the best track, recruits Mert Morali’s electronics alongside the bass flute for strong attention to pitch and timbre in the Morali piece.
Angélica Negrón’s “Hush” exits, and pairs the intimate flute with Negrón’s electronics, as strategic synth and waves of grooves enter the thoughtful finish.
A highly diverse body of work, Michel brings classical and electroacoustic ideas together with an experimental angle that you can’t not be intrigued with.
Travels well with: Daniel Lippel- Adjacence; Patrick Yim- One