As 2016 dawns Stolen Mirror enters a new phase. In December my label released AC, the debut CD from Steve McCourt, featuring three compositions. And two weeks ago Fergus Kelly's latest album, Neural Atlas, saw the light of day. These two limited edition CDs contain electroacoustic music that plays with sound in intriguing ways.
Wednesday evening we had a release party at the very wonderful Guesthouse in Shandon, Cork. I have to thank Irene Murphy and the rest of the collective for being so generous with their time and energy. We had delightful vegetarian food and wine around an open fire before retiring upstairs for music.
I began the proceedings with a new interpretation of my "Requieum David Bowie (Some Are)", which repurposes the obscure Bowie composition, as described in a recent blog post.
I am happy to announce that I have also composed original music around this theme for a new play by Adam Wyeth, performed by Paula McGlinchey. "Yoga for Beginners" will be performed at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, 17-18 February.
Fergus caught me on his phone...
Then followed a four-channel version of "AC-4" by Steve McCourt, a rare chance to hear this piece in multi-channel format. The stereo version is available from the Stolen Mirror website. Follow that link to hear one of his compositions in full. After which, you will want to purchase the CD.
Third up was Fergus Kelly, performing on a variety of custom string instruments using electromagnetic actuators like eBow and hand fan. This was quite different from the music on Neural Atlas, yet the same precision and delicacy of composition was evident. Check out the photo at the top of this entry.
After a break, the three of us performed together in an improvisation that was both unique and unrehearsed. And yet it worked! Thanks to the appreciative audience for sharing this experience with us.
Here's Steve manipulating samples on his giant tablet. I should mention that he was visiting Ireland on a rare trip from his home base of Shanghai! So we were lucky indeed to have him.
In more Cork news, I am happy to say that both of these CDs are now on offer at Plugd Records, at a price of 13 Euro. You save money compared with the mail order pricing and get to support your local retailer. Win-win, as they say.
Which is what Stolen Mirror is all about. Building a community of music lovers that benefits all. This is but the beginning.
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