Today, acclaimed ensemble yMusic released the video for "Sunset Boulevard," the latest single from their upcoming album First, out February 17, 2017via their own label Communal Table Records. The video, which features stop motion animation by the ensemble's Alex Sopp, was premiered via NPR's "All Songs TV." You can watch it HERE. First will be featured as WQXR's "Album of the Week" on February 13, which will include an advance stream of the entire album.
It was also just announced that yMusic will premiere a new collaboration with
Paul Simon at the third annual Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival. The performance pairs classic songs from Simon's extensive catalog with cutting edge new arrangements performed by the ensemble and composed by leading voices in contemporary classical music, including Marcos Balter, Bryce Dessner, Gabriel Kahane, Son Lux, Missy Mazzoli, Nico Muhly, Andrew Norman and many others. Highlighting the poetry and masterful songwriting of Simon's original works through thoughtful interpretations that reflect each composer's unique style, this collaboration re-imagines some of the world's most iconic and important songs with Simon himself at the helm.
The album was composed entirely by
Son Lux and produced by Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman). Comprising 11 tracks, and totaling 40 minutes with an intentional Side A/Side B feeling, First is structured much like a rock record. While not poppy, the music is energetic and accessible, and the format of the album reflects yMusic's modern sensibility and diverse listening taste.
yMusic is a group of six New York City instrumentalists flourishing in the overlap between the pop and classical worlds. Their virtuosic execution and unique configuration (string trio, flute, clarinet, and trumpet) has attracted the attention of high profile collaborators-from
Ben Folds to
Dirty Projectors to Jose Gonzalez-and inspired an expanding repertoire of original works by some of today's foremost composers, including
Nico Muhly and Andrew Norman.
To date, yMusic has released two full-length solo albums, 2014's Balance
Problems and 2011's Beautiful Mechanical, Time Out New York's #1 Classical Record of that Year. In addition to performing their own repertoire, yMusic serves as a ready-made collaborative unit for bands and songwriters, and have lent their distinctive sound to dozens of albums, most recently, Ben Folds' 2015 release "So there." Other recent collaborations include recording and tours with José González, The Tallest Man on Earth, Dirty Projectors, The Staves,
Bon Iver and Blake Mills.
Founded by producer-composer Ryan Lott in 2007,
Son Lux "works at the nexus of several rarely-overlapping Venn Diagrams" (Pitchfork). After his first record, At War With Walls and Mazes, NPR's All Songs Considered declared him "Best New Artist" of 2008.
Son Lux has released two LP's since, We Are Rising (2011) and Lanterns (2013), which All Music Guide describes as "nothing short of a miracle." With the recent additions to the band of guitarist-composer
Rafiq Bhatia and drummer Ian Chang,
Son Lux is now a ferocious trio both live and on record. Son Lux's fourth album, Bones, released via Glassnote Records, was the first album documenting this new formation, and draws from the three members' unique and omnivorous musical vernaculars.
Few bands have built a more impressive and varied array of collaborators: Lorde, Beyoncé producer Boots, Woodkid, Sufjan Stevens,
Matthew Dear, Busdriver, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Vijay Iyer,
Nico Muhly and Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw. In addition,
Son Lux has inspired other Platinum artists such as Halsey and
Fallout Boy, who used significant samples of his music.
In addition to his work as Son Lux, Ryan Lott composes music for film, theater and dance. Film credits include arranging and programming for five major features, most notably The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby (2014) and Paper Towns (2015), as well as the upcoming Mean Dreams, which premiered at Cannes and the Toronto Film
Festival 2016.
Thomas Bartlett, also known as Doveman, is an American pianist, singer, and producer, best known for his work with Sufjan Stevens, Glen Hansard, The National, Sam Amidon, Nico Muhly, The Gloaming,
Martha Wainwright and many more.
Born in Vermont, Bartlett studied piano in London with Maria Curcio before moving to New York City in 2001 where he soon began performing with Chocolate Genius and Elysian Fields. In recent years, Bartlett has performed and toured extensively with artists like The National, Antony and the Johnsons, Mike Doughty, Martha Wainwright,
Glen Hansard (in both
The Frames and The Swell Season) and Bebel Gilberto.
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