#5194, Solo Strings and Electronics

When solo strings and electronics come together, meditative and enchanting soundscapes are often inevitable. Music producer Brendon Randall-Myers and cellist Annie Blythe’s momentous 50-minute work, titled Only in the Dark, is built on this concept. But their musical meditations are also reflections on the musicians’ mutual experiences as neurodiverse individuals with specific sensory sensitivities, which is why their compositions can sound calm in one moment and volatile in the next. A chamber orchestra arrangement of this unusual cello concerto premieres on Tuesday, October 20th, with the ensemble Contemporaneous joined by soloist Annie Blythe, at Roulette in Brooklyn.

Filmmaker Peter Coccoma’s approach to composing electronic music is highly cinematic, and with contributions from cellist Clarice Jensen and later, violinist Oliver Hill, he achieves an enviable state of serenity in “clouds of understanding” and “towards light”.

Violinist Todd Reynolds and electronic producer Paul Dejong’s “Inward Bound” diverts expectations in this atmospheric set, with precise and rhythmic sampling techniques devoid of the usual abundance of reverb and echo effects one expects from such a collaboration.

MIZU, who acts as both cellist and electronic producer in “Realms of Possibility”, expands the concept of rhythm, layering various sequences that sound as though they may be out of sync at first, but eventually bind together.

We also have pieces where electronic and choral textures take a back seat to let the solo violin performances shine. Olivia De Prato brings Missy Mazzoli’s “Vespers for Violin” to life with her violin, while another violinist, Darragh Morgan, takes on the readaptation of Irene Buckley’s piece, “Liminalis”. - Sırma Munyar

(Photo of MIZU by Max McQueen)

Program #5194, Solo Strings and Electronics (First aired 10/14/26)

ARTIST: Annie Blythe, Brendon Randall-Myers
WORK: The way they wept [1:05]
RECORDING: Only in the Dark
SOURCE: Cmntx Records
INFO: https://annieblythe.bandcamp.com/album/only-in-the-dark

ARTIST: Peter Coccoma, Clarice Jensen
WORK: clouds of understanding [4:08]
RECORDING: A Place to Begin
SOURCE: Independent
INFO: https://petercoccoma.bandcamp.com/album/a-place-to-begin

ARTIST: Annie Blythe, Brendon Randall-Myers
WORK: On fire, quietly [5:31]
RECORDING: Only in the Dark
SOURCE: Cmntx Records
INFO: https://annieblythe.bandcamp.com/album/only-in-the-dark

ARTIST: Annie Blythe, Brendon Randall-Myers
WORK: The way they wept [7:11]
RECORDING: Only in the Dark
SOURCE: Cmntx Records
INFO: https://annieblythe.bandcamp.com/album/only-in-the-dark

ARTIST: Todd Reynolds, Paul Dejong
WORK: Inward Bound [3:35]
RECORDING: Outerborough
SOURCE: Innova
INFO: https://digifiddler.bandcamp.com/album/outerborough

ARTIST: MIZU 
WORK: Realms of Possibility [10:50]
RECORDING: Forest Scenes
SOURCE: NNA Tapes
INFO: https://iammizu.bandcamp.com/album/forest-scenes

ARTIST: Olivia De Prato & Missy Mazzoli
WORK: Vespers for Violin [5:13]
RECORDING: Streya
SOURCE: New Focus Recordings
INFO: https://newfocusrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/streya-2

ARTIST: Darragh Morgan, Irene Buckley
WORK: Liminalis [8:21]
RECORDING: For Violin and Electronics - Volume II
SOURCE: Diatribe Records
INFO: https://diatriberecords.bandcamp.com/album/for-violin-and-electronics-volume-ii

ARTIST: Peter Coccoma, Clarice Jensen, Oliver Hill
WORK: towards light [1:37]
RECORDING: A Place to Begin
SOURCE: Independent
INFO: https://petercoccoma.bandcamp.com/album/a-place-to-begin