eMusic Review 0
Canadian composer Nicole Lizee writes music with a seriousness of purpose that doesn’t get in the way of her wry sense of humor and palpable sense of fun. She is drawn to the sounds of electronics, pop music and, to be even more specific, the sounds of electronically manipulated recordings of pop music. The title track of this collection, “This Will Not Be Televised,” is a work for turntablist and chamber orchestra. Familiar (in some cases, maddeningly familiar) fragments of old recordings are “scratched” and pitch-shifted, leading the acoustic ensemble on a merry chase through a fractured but brightly colored soundscape. (The title refers not to the late Gil Scott-Heron’s masterpiece, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” but to the simple fact that the CBC was on strike at the time of composition.) “RPM” is a precursor to the title piece — an early exploration of the turntable as an additional orchestral instrument. It too uses familiar elements that fuse into a much more abstract musical language, ending in a mind-bending, freeform DJ battle.
The most easily accessible work here is “Girl, You’re Living a Life of Crime,” a lyrical but rhythmically tricky piece for what is essentially a jazz/rock band.… read more »
