Fred Frith - Quartets (1994)

Fred Frith - Quartets (1994)

contemporary, avantgarde | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 230MB

RecRec 44

wikipedia:
Quartets is a 1994 studio album by English guitarist, composer and improvisor Fred Frith. It consists of two compositions by Frith, "Lelekovice, String Quartet #1", performed by the Violet Wires String Quartet, and "The As Usual Dance Towards the Other Flight to What is Not", performed by an electric guitar quartet. Frith performs with the guitar quartet, but not with the string quartet.
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"Lelekovice, String Quartet #1" was composed by Frith in 1990 and was dedicated to Iva Bittová, Lelekovice being the name of the village near Brno in the Czech Republic where Bittová lives. It was first performed in July 1991 by the Edison Quartet at the Nieuwe Musiek Festival, in Middelburg, the Netherlands, and was used by the United States choreographer Amanda Miller in her dance piece, My Father's Vertigo in 1991. The recording on this album was made in December 1992 by the Violet Wires String Quartet at Angel Studios, London. "Lelekovice" was recorded again in June 2003 by the Arditti Quartet and appeared on Frith's 2005 album, Eleventh Hour.
"The As Usual Dance Towards the Other Flight to What is Not" was commissioned by Roulette, New York City and composed by Frith in 1989. It was first performed in February 1989 by Les 4 Guitaristes de l'Apocalypso-Bar at The Kitchen, New York City, and recorded by the same group in February 1989 at Studio Victor, Montreal. An album of this piece and other recordings by the group were released on Fin de Siecle (1989). Only sections A and C of this composition appear on the album.
Frith did not play on "The As Usual Dance Towards the Other Flight to What is Not" with Les 4 Guitaristes de l'Apocalypso-Bar, and when he wanted to perform this piece himself, he assembled an electric guitar quartet in 1992, comprising René Lussier, Nick Didkovsky, Mark Howell and himself. The quartet recorded the complete piece in April 1992 at Sorcerer Sound, New York, releasing it on Quartets. Later Mark Stewart replaced Howell and the new quartet became known as the Fred Frith Guitar Quartet, touring internationally and recording two albums, Ayaya Moses (1997) and Upbeat (1999).
Parts of "The As Usual Dance Towards the Other Flight to What is Not" also appear in the documentary film, Step Across the Border (1990), and its soundtrack, Step Across the Border (1990), performed by an electric guitar quartet which Frith conducts.

Tracks
-1. "Lelekovice, String Quartet #1 (for Iva Bittová)" (Frith) – 24:12
-2. "The As Usual Dance Towards the Other Flight to What is Not" (Frith) – 28:35

Personnel
"Lelekovice, String Quartet #1" performed by Violet Wires String Quartet:
* Ann Morfee – violin
* Abigail Brown – violin
* Phil D'Arcy – viola
* Liz Parker – cello
"The As Usual Dance Towards the Other Flight to What is Not" performed by Electric Guitar Quartet:
* Fred Frith – guitar
* René Lussier – guitar
* Nick Didkovsky – guitar
* Mark Howell – guitar

sample & buy: Quartets

 

Iva Bittova - Cikori (2001)

Iva Bittova - Cikori (2001)

avantgarde, contemporary | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 305MB

Indies

Allmusic:
Iva Bittová does not release albums very often, making each one something to treasure. Cikori is her first major project since her critically acclaimed duet with Vladimír Václavek, the 1997 Bilé Inferno, and her first group effort since she left Dunaj. Cikori is actually both the title of the album and the name of this quintet, which is also comprised of Václavek (acoustic guitar), Frantisek Kucera (trumpet), Jaromír Honzák (double bass), and Milos Dvorácek (drums and percussion). The three new players already appeared as guests on selected tracks from Bilé Inferno. Basically, this opus develops more elaborate arrangements around the sound of the previous album. Václavek remains an essential part of the atmosphere, but the added instruments provide a wider palette for the singer. Songs like "Krídla" and "Zapísej" show the same attention to melodies, sparse arrangements, delicate build-ups, and charm. In "Jungle" and "První," the group adopts a quasi-Latin mood, which gives Bittová's very personal scats a new color. And who could resist her mischievous child tone when she meows in "Kocha"? Cikori may not be as gripping as Bilé Inferno, but it still represents a strong effort. It's full of beautiful, light, playful pop with an avant-garde twist. Recommended.

Tracks
-1. "Kocka" - Bittova, David - 6:10
-2. "Mravencí Síla" - Bittova, David - 5:02
-3. "Krídla" - Bittova, David - 9:28
-4. "Jungle" - Bittova - 2:42
-5. "Prání" - Bittova, David - 5:11
-6. "První" - Bittova - 5:36
-7. "Polykacka Nozu" - Bittova, Kalisová - 6:55
-8. "Zapískej" - Bittova, Vaclavek - 8:07
-9. "Kazu" - Bittova - 2:13

Personnel
* Iva Bittová - voice, violin
* Vladimír Václavek - guitar
* František Kučera - trumpet
* Jaromír Honzák - double bass
* Miloš Dvořáček - drums, percussion

sample & buy: Cikori

Iva Bittova - River of Milk (1991) (eac-log-cover)

Iva Bittova - River of Milk (1991)

avantgarde | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 195MB

EVA records

I could not find album reviews
bio
Singer and violinist Iva Bittová is one of the few artists from the Czech Republic to enjoy an international career. Her irresistible charm, original use of voice, and fondness of melodies that sit on the border of avant-garde and playground nursery rhymes won her devoted fans around the world, although the core of her audience resides in Eastern Europe.
more (allmusic)
more (wikipedia)

Bittová's music
Bittová's music is a blend of rock and East European music which she describes as "my own personal folk music". Her violin playing mixes different techniques, including playing the strings with various objects and plucking them like a banjo. Her vocal utterances range from traditional singing to chirping, cackling and deep throat noises. She puts her whole body into her performances, drawing on her theatrical skills. AllMusic.com writes: "Her irresistible charm, original use of voice, and fondness of melodies that sit on the border of avant-garde and playground nursery rhymes won her devoted fans around the world."

Tracks
-01. Waterphone (2:48)
-02. Before (5:49)
-03. River of Milk (4:46)
-04. Bells (3:56)
-05. China (2:57)
-06. The Vampire's Ball (7:40)
-07. Viola I (4:09)
-08. Someone Played the Oboe (3:34)
-09. Strange Young Lady (5:06)
-10. Viola II (3:02)
-11. There Was a Sister Had a Brother (2:05)

Musicians
- Iva Bittová / vocals, violin, viola, waterphone, percussion

Recorded at the Church of St. Philip and St. Jacob, Lelekovice, and at the Chapel Hradec Králové, Czechoslovakia, November 1990.