New Focus Recordings Presents RABA, A New Album by Scott L. Miller

New Focus Recordings proudly presents the New York release shows for Raba, the new album from Minnesota-based composer Scott L. Miller featuring Estonia's Ensemble U:, flutist Laura Cocks, guitarist Daniel Lippel, and Scott L. Miller. The works on this release reveal a two-decade compositional trend toward quieter, more patient, ambient music rooted in the environment of its origins or its performance. The original concept for this recording was that it should be a retrospective assemblage of previously unreleased audio-visual works from various collaborations Miller has been a part of since 2001. It quickly evolved into a collection of pieces from the past remade, and the impetus for new collaborations. In addition to this album, there is a limited edition DVD of five of the video collaborations with film and video artists Paul Clipson, Ron Gregg, Ted Moore, Rosemary Williams, and Mark Zaki. Links to the videos can be found at www.scottlmiller.net.

Estonia's Ensemble U: celebrates the release of Scott L. Miller's Raba with two sets at Spectrum on Friday, September 28th at 7pm and 8:30pm. The title track Raba (which means bog in Estonian) is an immersive audio-visual concert piece inspired by the Marimetsa Raba, located about an hour drive from Tallinn. Miller's Raba was especially created for Ensemble U: and is experienced by the audience seated in swiveling chairs and wearing VR headsets. Audience members visually explore a 360 video while Ensemble U: performs the music in sync with the film. The ensemble and speakers physically surround the audience, unifying the audience experience with a live, immersive audio performance while each audience member has a unique immersive visual experience. In addition to the New York premiere of Raba, Ensemble U: will premiere a new VR work by Estonian composer Tatjana Kozlova-Johannes, and present the NY premiere of Miller's Accretion, also written for U:. The VR videos are by Rein Zobel of MaruVR. VR headsets are limited, and therefore each performance will be limited to 20 audience members only.

Concert Program:

Raba by Scott L. Miller (2015/17) for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion, fixed-media, and VR video* (NY premiere)

Silent Witness by Tatjana Kozlova-Johannes (2018, première) for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion, fixed media, and VR video* (world premiere)

* VR-videos by Rein Zobel, MaruVR https://maruvr.ee/

Accretion by Scott L. Miller (2015) for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, percussion, piano, and fixed-media electronic sound (NY premiere)

Friday, September 28, 2018
Two sets at 7pm & 8:30pm
SPECTRUM
70 Flushing Avenue Brooklyn, NY
Admission: $15; $10 Students & Seniors
https://raba.brownpapertickets.com/

Next up on Saturday, September 29th at 3pm, Columbia University's LENFEST presents film screenings and live music from the Raba dvd and cd. This event is organized by Ron Gregg, Film and Media Studies and is co-sponsored by New Focus Recordings. Raba is the collection of audio-visual and live cinema collaborations of composer Scott L. Miller and film/video artists Paul Clipson, Ron Gregg, Ted Moore, Rosemary Williams, and Mark Zaki. Flutist Laura Cocks, guitarist Daniel Lippel, and Scott L. Miller, electronics will perform the NY premieres of five works from the CD with film/art video projection. The experience has been described by textura as "a multi-dimensional presentation that feels expansive and inviting" and by Gapplegate Classical-Modern Review as "a bellwether of New Music-Electronic Music right now." Check-in will begin one hour prior to start time. Seating is limited and first come, first served. Advance registration does not guarantee seating; early arrival is suggested.

Saturday, September 29, 2018 at 3pm
LENFEST at Columbia University
The Katharina Otto-Bernstein Screening Room
Lenfest Center for the Arts, 615 W. 129 St., New York, NY 10027
Free Admission: https://lenfest.arts.columbia.edu/events/raba
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/raba-tickets-49651595258

Album Artwork: Scott L. Miller

Scott will also have a residency at Boyer College of Music & Dance at Temple University this weekend:

Friday, September 21, 2018 at 1pm: Music Studies Colloquium Presentation on Ecosystemic Music and Performance Practice.
https://events.temple.edu/music-studies-colloquium-scott-miller-ecosystemic-music-and-performance-practice

Saturday, Sept 22, 2018 at 2pm: Workshop Demo for Music Tech majors
https://events.temple.edu/music-technology-speaker-series-workshop-with-scott-miller-carla-rees

Saturday, Sept 22, 2018 at 7:30pm:

The Center for The Performing and Cinematic Arts presents Music Technology Speaker Series: Scott L. Miller & Carla Rees in concert

"It's no small triumph, then, that the new CD from Carla Rees and Scott L. Miller, exploring music for flute and electronics, is so exciting and memorable. The title, Devices and Desires, is allusive - not a million miles from Ligeti's 'Clocks and Clouds' - evoking cool and hot impulses, a juxtaposition of measured rationality with unpredictable whim. From this melting pot of head and heart, Rees and Miller have created six pieces that each occupy a different position on the composed/improvised continuum, including "a fully composed work ..., structured improvisations ... and free improvisations."

Saturday, September 22, 2018 at 7:30pm
Temple University
Rock Hall
1715 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122
https://events.temple.edu/music-technology-speaker-series-scott-miller-carla-rees-in-concert

 

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