Marika Hackman - Any Human Friend - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

It's amazing how the floodgates open when you shut out all the internal and external noise, stop pandering to stereotype, cease listening to your anxieties, and disregard the compartment society has built for you. I'm Not Your Man, the Charlie Andrew (Alt-J, Rae Morris)-produced second album from Marika Hackman, begins with an impromptu hearty laugh. It's not the sound of silliness; it's the sound of liberation, spontaneity, and joy. 24-year-old Hackman is feeling more herself than ever. Life isn't necessarily funnier or happier, but when there's cause for a joke or a big ballsy statement, she's not holding back any more. The album took almost 18 months to complete, during which time Hackman switched to a new manager and a new tag, transitions that yielded new avenues for exploration, a lot of time, and a lot of distance - mainly, she insists, from self-imposed boundaries. InchI used to be very self-conscious,Inch explains Hackman. InchIf something sounded a bit too pop or like I'd heard it before I'd mold it into something different. This time around I thought, 'F**k it, I'll just let it flow.'Inch The results of this semi-anarchic approach are evident in the grungier, catchier sonics of I'm Not Your Man, and the lyrics, which reveal an unhinged and shamelessly free Hackman. There's an open-ended nature to the lyrics, which delve into femininity, S*x and sexual identity, millennial ennui, the pressures of living in a social media bubble, and the perils of being young in a fast-paced industry.

Marika Hackman - I'm Not Your Man [COMPACT DISCS] UK - Import date 06/09/2017

The Fourth Book of Violin Sonatas by Jean-Marie Leclair is considered the pinnacle of French Baroque violin artistry. Leclair pushed the development of violin playing further and further until hardly anyone could follow him. Accordingly; these sonatas are played by only a few and are unfortunately rarely heard. Hélène Schmitt; herself celebrated as an exceptional violinist; has for many years intensively studied the life and work of the great musician; whose career repeatedly took unexpected turns and whose life ended abruptly with a murder that is still unsolved today. On this CD she shows not only the virtuosity but also the many amazingly different colours of the sonatas. She is supported by her top-class continuo group in various instrumentations. The album is the first part of a complete recording of the twelve sonatas of the Fourth Book. The booklet contains an extensive text penned by the artist; who thus shares her personal insights into Leclair's life.