Sam Prekop - Comma - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Sam Prekop's work over the last 30 years, whether created primarily on his guitar or on his modular synth, is consistent in it's powerful melodicism, delicate arrangements and subtle evolution. Prekop's singular blend of melody, impressionistic lyricism and quietly intricate rhythms are the core of the singular sound of The Sea and Cake. Since 2010's Old Punch Card, Prekop's exploration of modular synthesis and electronic atmospheres, has come into it's own. Highly skilled at manipulating the sonic interplay, Prekop has established a sytle all his own, his pieces are complex expressing real movement. Harmonies bloom with granular detail and contrary to their machine sources are able to convey emotion. Open Close is an album that captures the flow and energy of a live performance through the lens of a deft craftsman, an equilibrium of intuitive composition and the excitement of possibility.The music of Sam Prekop is defined by his signature curiosity and his ability to mold and refine that curiosity into a wholly unique sound. His process in naming album Open Close mirrors his creative practice and the worlds he builds across the album InchI like simple words that become complicated if you think of them more than a second or two, beyond face value. And Open Close could be close as in 'close to you' or close as in 'close the door.' If it gives everything away too quickly, then I'm not interested.Inch Each movement across Open Close is replete with simple gestures that suggest new complexities with Prekop's careful arrangements. Open Close unearths new, soulfully human sounds from synthetic textures precisely juxtaposed, it's subtle contrasts in texture and rhythm are a free-flowing celebration of sonics as stunning as they are ephemeral.

Regardless of the style he is working in, Sam Prekops music is always imbued with a sense of wide-eyed discovery and exploration. As the singer and guitarist of the Sea and Cake, Prekop has incorporated elements of traditional styles from around the world, expanding the public perception of what it means to be the leader of a pop band. In recent years, he has also established himself as a modular synthesist, building his instrument meticulously to find the perfect combination of oscillators, sequencers, limiters and filters to create a system that allows him to create sounds that are surprising and inviting. His new album the Republic is his latest synthesizer work, following 2010s Old Punch Card, and showcases Prekops talent for creating expressive music through mechanical patterns, repetitions, and chance. Prekops innate gifts of melodic turns of phrase that have made him a revered songwriter are transferred into new forms in his synthesizer work, aided by the unpredictable melodic capabilities of analog sequencers, and the Republic is an exciting new chapter in his development as an accomplished synthesist. The first half of the Republic consists of songs that were originally created as a score for a video installation of the same name by David Hartt, which was shown at the David Nolan Gallery in New York. These pieces strike an impressive balance between control and spontaneity, seamlessly transitioning from abstraction and discord into passages of blissful harmonic consonance. The second half of the record consists of some of Prekops most warm and inviting synth work yet, built using ideas that worked better on their own as opposed to accompanying the installation. These songs have a sense of forward motion that is often missing in many recordings by modern modular synthesists, which Prekop attributes to his incorporation of the instrument into his writing proces

For his first recording with Ricercar, and as a prelude to an anthology of German Baroque harpsichord music, Yoann Moulin tackles works by two of Sweelinck's most illustrious disciples. The preludes, chorales, fugues, dances and arias with variations of this repertory offer great diversity and enable us to grasp the personalities of the two composers, the introverted Scheidt and the more flamboyant and Baroque Scheidemann. Yoann Moulin began his musical education with Robert Weddle. He discovered the harpsichord later, and studied with Bibiane Lapointe and Thierry Maeder before continuing his education at the Academy Villecroze and the National Conservatory of Music and Dance in Paris. He has since performed in numerous solo and chamber music recitals and at different festivals including the Folles Days of Nantes, the Philharmonie de Paris, La Roque d'Antheron, and more. Recently, he cofounded the ensemble InchA Band of Harpsichords,Inch a consort of ancient keyboards that focuses on the music of the Renaissance, both written and improvised.