Joel F. Durand: Piano Concerto (Auvidis-Montaigne)

"A pupil of Ferneyhough, Ligeti, and Berio, French composer Joel F. Durand has developed his own unique direction, fusing a fertile musical imagination with his understanding of the musical traditions of the East. The bold and spiky Piano Concerto has been heralded for its colorful and polymorphous modernity. Commissioned by IRCAM and the Ensemble Intercontemporain among others, Durand is a professor of composition and theory at the University of Washington.

Amy Denio: Greatest Hits (Unit Circle Rekkids)

"Solo tracks and tracks from Tone Dogs, Pale Nudes, Curlew, (EC) Nudes, Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet and Die Knödel. Amy Denio's Greatest Hits presents tracks spanning her amazing music-making career and brings some rare and hard-to-find cuts to an American release for the first time."

Michael Bisio & Joe McPhee: Zebulon (CIMP)

Seattle bassist Michael Bisio has made another stellar recording with saxophonist Joe McPhee, who says in the liner notes, "Zebulon deals with improvisation in free space... The music of our duo has always been about the journey rather than the destination and so the journey continues." Says Bisio, "Searching for the most beautiful thing is what this duo is about. Each time we meet, the border to mystery is pushed and a new possibility is created: the most beautiful thing might become more beautiful."

The Apostles and The Comedians (Seattle Basement Tapes/HomeMade Recordings)

"Scott Walsh and Derek Guzman have been members of improvisational outfits The Apostles and The Comedians for the past four years. The tapes feature wild guitar and frantic drums creating unpredictable, noisy, sweet, weird, wistful, and pounding sonic sounds."

TKS1-4 (M.U. Records)

Using a large variety of sources for sound, trays, pots, cello, random electro noises, Arp synth, bass & e-bow, drums, sampler, doors, jars, guitar, TKS1-4 is at times a slow careful listen. Filled with disguised and slightly mutated sources, the listener is lead down an ever evolving soundscape that is organically rhythmic, sharply punctuated, and steeped in nebulous atmosphere."
M.U. Records: 4325 NE Rodney, Portland, OR 97211

Extracted Celluloid (Illegal Art/Seeland)

Seattle's Corporal Blossom contributes the closing track to this follow-up to last year's highly publicized "Deconstructing Beck." Every track on "Extracted Celluloid" is constructed entirely of music and sounds from the big screen. Co-released by Illegal Art and Negativland's Seeland label, the tracks target such victims as Titanic, Dr. Strangelove, Saturday Night Fever, Wizard Of Oz, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Ennio Morricone, Chariots of Fire, Cheech and Chong, and many more.