Bass clarinetist Chris Cundy, uses the studio as a performance tool for accompaniment along with pre-recorded tapes, as he contrasts two different composers--Cornelius Cardew & Ton de Leeuw and their compositions titled "Mountains", alongside a Cardew graphic score piece, and 2 work for 5 bass clarinets, from Thanos Chrysakis and John Cage, the latter from his Numbers series.
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Chris Cundy-bass clarinet, tape preparations, accompaniments
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Label: Aural Terrains
Catalog ID: TRRN1444
Squidco Product Code: 29898
Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2020
Country: UK / EU
Packaging: Jewel Case
Recorded at Red Carpet Studio, and the University of Gloucestshire, England, in 2018 and 2019.
"This release offers a set of rare modern classical works for bass clarinet alongside a stand alone contemporary piece by Greek composer Thanos Chrysakis. Mountains is a title shared by two compositions from 1977 by Cornelius Cardew and Ton de Leeuw and both are presented here alongside each other for the first time. In addition, it contains Solo With Accompaniment, an earlier work by Cardew that uses indeterminate performance strategies, as well as John Cage's late work Five. Belonging to the large collection of Number Pieces all written during the final decade of the composer's life."-Aural Terrains
About the Artist:
Playing bass clarinet and rarified woodwind instruments Chris Cundy is a composer and performer with a practice rooted in experimental and improvised settings. His work also crosses over into popular music and he has worked with a variety of songwriters and groups including Timber Timbre, Cold Specks (aka Ladan Hussein), Thor & Friends, Baby Dee & Little Annie, and Guillemots.
Growing up in the Medway towns Chris became friends with artist and punk musician Billy Childish who introduced him to the exploits of homemade music-making at an early age. This led to a lasting DIY attitude and by the time he was 12 Chris had already started out as a street performer and busker. After hearing Eric Dolphy's music he took up the bass clarinet. He remains self-taught.
Also a visual artist, Chris studied painting at Cheltenham where he discovered a synergy between drawing practices and improvised music. This led to self-developed playing techniques using multi-phonics, circular breathing, exploring micro tonality and generally speaking a more tactile approach to the instrument. Chris also performs contemporary classical music and has premiered works by Greek composer Thanos Chrysakis. He performs as a soloist and as a member of The Set Ensemble.
He is also involved with theatre music, and recently contributed to an original soundtrack for Florian Zeller's stage play The Mother starring Gina McKee. Chris has performed at Shakespeare's Globe and toured with circus companies NoFit State, and Imagineer.
One off sessions have seen Chris performing alongside Moby, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Lol Coxhill, Vieux Farka Touré, Fatoumata Diawara, Alexander Hawkins, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Lisa Hannigan.
He has released three solo albums, Gustav Lost in 2016 (FMR Records), The Disruptive Forest in 2017 (Confront), and the mini-album Crude Attempt in 2020 (Pressing Records). A further album of acoustic bass clarinet compositions is expected in 2021 titled Of All The Common Flowers.
The Squid's Ear!
Artist Biographies
• Show Bio for Chris Cundy "Playing bass clarinet, various saxophones, and other unusual woodwind instruments Chris splits his time between the UK where he lives and Canada. He has toured internationally with Cold Specks, Timber Timbre, Guillemots, and Fyfe Dangerfield and regularly accompanies songwriters such as Little Annie, Baby Dee, Devon Sproule, and Edd Donovan. His practice extends from popular music to theatre, experimental and improvised performances and he has appeared on over sixty commercial recordings. Recently Chris has started to release a series of albums under his own name. Chris grew up in Medway, Kent and was drawn into the local music scene at a young age where he become friends with Billy Childish - artist, musician, and founder of Hangman Records & Books. During visits to Childish's kitchen Chris was exposed to the exploits of homemade music-making. This formative period instilled a DIY approach and by the time Chris was 14 he had already started out as a street busker. After hearing the Eric Dolphy Memorial Album he took up bass clarinet. He is self-taught. He went on to study painting at Cheltenham art college. During this period he began to establish experimental projects including Grace & Delete - a duo with fellow painter and electronics musician James Dunn. He also started to explore self-developed playing techniques such as multi-phonics, circular breathing, micro tonality and generally speaking a more tactile approach to the instrument. This led him to working with composers including Thanos Chrysakis, and Pete M Wyer. At Cheltenham he also met songwriter Fyfe Dangerfield who he has continued to collaborate with on a number of occasions since - most notoriously as an additional saxophonist for the Mercury Prize nominated indie-pop group Guillemots. Other projects include several albums with electronica group Longstone and performing music for Nofit State Circus. One off sessions have seen Chris performing with Moby, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Vieux Farka Touré, Fatoumata Diawara, Alexander Hawkins, and Lisa Hannigan. He has also written theatre music and recently worked with composer Jon Nicholls on an original soundtrack for Florian Zellar's The Mother starring Gina McKee." ^ Hide Bio for Chris Cundy
9/4/2024
Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
Track Listing:
Cornelius Cardew
1. SOLO WITH ACCOMPANIMENT
(1964) 5'01"
bass clarinet with three accompaniments
Ton de Leeuw
2. MOUNTAINS (1977) 18'11''
bass clarinet and tape
Thanos Chrysakis
3. FRYKTORIA (2019) 12'50''
five bass clarinets
Cornelius Cardew
4-7. MOUNTAINS (1977)
Variation I 2'50''
Variation II 5'32"
Variation III (Cadenza) 2'25"
Variation IV 3'35"
solo bass clarinet
John Cage
8. FIVE (1988) 5'05"
five bass clarinets
Compositional Forms
Avant-Garde
Electro-Acoustic
Electroacoustic Composition
Recordings by or featuring Reed & Wind Players
Solo Artist Recordings
John Cage
London & UK Improv & Related Scenes
Staff Picks & Recommended Items
New in Compositional Music
Graphic Scores
Search for other titles on the label:
Aural Terrains.
 | Chrysakis, Thanos Music For Trumpets, Bass Clarinets And Saxophones (Aural Terrains) |
| In configurations of solo to an 11-piece ensemble, Aural Terrain assembles great players including Tim Hodgkinson, Jason Alder, Yoni Silver, Chris Cundy, &c to perform works by composers John Cage, Gerard Grisley, Giacinto Scelsi, Thanos Chrysakis, Jule Kjaer and Tim Hodgkinson; seven acoustic compositions written between 1978 and 2022 that prominently feature horns as trumpets, clarinets and saxophones. | |
 | Consorts Distinctions (Spoonhunt) |
| Composer Dominic Lash's Consort ensemble explores the possibilities of combining sustained-tone music, guided & free improvisation, and the relationship between acoustic and amplified sound, heard in this evolving, extended concert at Café Oto on Lash's 40th birthday, in a unique mix of acoustic & electronic instruments that even includes an amplified kitchen sink! | |
| Chrysakis, Thanos Music For Trumpets, Bass Clarinets And Saxophones (Aural Terrains) |
| In configurations of solo to an 11-piece ensemble, Aural Terrain assembles great players including Tim Hodgkinson, Jason Alder, Yoni Silver, Chris Cundy, &c to perform works by composers John Cage, Gerard Grisley, Giacinto Scelsi, Thanos Chrysakis, Jule Kjaer and Tim Hodgkinson; seven acoustic compositions written between 1978 and 2022 that prominently feature horns as trumpets, clarinets and saxophones. | |
 | Chrysakis, Thanos / Chris Cundy / Peer Schlechta / Ove Volquartz Archangel (Aural Terrains) |
| The follow-up to Music for Two Organs and Two Bass Clarinets, combining the collective work of clarinetists Chris Cundy, (bass clarinets, soprano ocarina) & Ove Volquartz (bass clarinets), Thanos Chrysakis (chamber organ & voice) and Peer Schlechta (pipe organ), recorded in the natural resonance of the Neustadter Kirche church in Hofgeismar, Germany. | |
 | Petit, Philippe In A State of Weightlessness (Aural Terrains) |
| Four distinct compositions from French electroacoustic composer Philippe Petit, each using analog synthesizers including Buchla Easel K & Buchla 200 synthesizers, EMS Synthi and a Landscape Stereofield analog synthesizer, interestingly layered and captivatingly paced against processed voices, percussion, insider piano work, broken glass, samplers and turntables. | |
 | Matthews, Wade / Carmen Morales Fall Five Improvisations (Aural Terrains) |
| Inspired by and recorded at the basilica of a former monastery overlooking a valley in southern Spain, the duo of Wade MatthInspired by and recorded at the basilica of a former monastery overlooking a valley in southern Spain, the duo of Wade Matthews on digital synthesis & field recordings and Carmen Morales on prepared piano, present improvisations with a unique palette of timbres, contrasting spacious moments against rapid interaction as they "Plunge and Tumble" through five captivating dialogs.ews on digital synthesis & field recordings and Carmen Morales on prepared piano, present improvisations with a unique palette of timbres, contrasting spacious moments with rapid interaction as they "Plunge and Tumble" through five captivating dialogs. | |
 | Corner, Philip On Tape From The Judson Years (Alga Marghen) |
| Early tape collage works from Fluxus founder and member of the Experimental Media Foundation Philip Corner, five distinct pieces recorded and developed between 1962 to 1963 in New York's Lower East Side, including Lucinda Pastime" for a a dance piece by Lucinda Childs, and "Oracle, a Canata on Images of War" commissioned by the Living Theatre; includes a 16-page booklet. | |
 | Eventless Plot Anisixia (Edition Wandelweiser Records) |
| Variations of a score incorporated within a choreographic performance presented at the Archeological Museum of Thessaloniki in 2019 from the Greek experimental band Eventless Plot, the core trio of Vasilis Liolios (psaltery & bow), Yiannis Tsirikoglou (electronics) and Aris Giatas (analog synth) extended with Chris Cundy (bass clarinet), Nefeli Sani (piano) and Eva Matsigou (flute). | |
 | Grisey, Gerard / Iancu Dumitrescu / Niels Christian Rasmussen / Thanos Chrysakis / Salvatore Sciarrino / Lori Freedman / Tim Hodgkinson Music for Violas, Bass Clarinets & Flutes (Aural Terrains) |
| Compositions for violas, bass clarinets and flutes performed by Vincent Royer, Jill Valentine, Jason Alder, Chris Cundy, Tim Hodgkinson, Yoni Silver, Lori Freedman, Carla Rees, Karin de Fleyt, Thanos Chrysakis, Katrina Lauder, with compositions from Gerard Grisey, Iancu Dumitrescu, Thanos Chrysakis, Niels Rasmussen, Salvatore Sciarrino, Lori Freedman, and Tim Hodgkinson. | |
 | Good, Zachary / Ben Roidl-Ward arb (Carrier Records) |
| Focusing on the harmonic interaction, delicate nuances and harmonic functionality of closely related tones, Chicago instrumentalists Zachary Good on clarinet and Ben Roidl-Ward on bassoon recorded these six works of acoustical and phenomenological events using the interplay between coinciding clarinet and bassoon notes, creating illusory and haunting tonal works. | |
 | White, John Electric Music [2 CDs] (ANTS Records) |
| English experimental composer and musical performer John White recorded the pieces on this 2 CD retrospective set between 1980 and 1995, a combination of serious, popular and novelty pieces, often exploring areas of contradiction, particularly linear and rhythmic, within an unlikely sound-world in which parameters such as volume, timbre, texture and speed remain fixed. | |
 | Chrysakis, Thanos / Chris Cundy A Certain Slant Of Light (Aural Terrains) |
| A 5-part electroacoustic improvisation from the UK duo of electronic and sound artist Thanos Chyrsakis and reedist Chris Cundy, the former using laptop computer, synthesizers, and copicat tape echo to create mesmerizing sheens of sound that circle and complement Cundy's bass clarinet, who also performs on megaphone, voice changer, zither, & objects; entrancing and captivating. | |
 | Triofolio (Chris Cundy / Paul K. Scott / Saul Scott) Ordinary Evidence (FMR) |
| Performing a set of UK bass clarinetist Chris Cundy's compositions, along with one collective improvisation, TrioFolio is complemented with the father/son team of double bassist Paul K. Scott and drummer Saul Scott, exploring the borders between classic modern jazz and free forms of improvisation, all heard in the lower instrumental spectrum through rich lyrical jazz. | |
 | Fine, Milo / Joseph Damman Acceptance Of Sorrow (Aural Terrains) |
| An album off free improvisations culled from the long-running Minneapolis duo of amplified acoustic guitarist Joseph Damman and multi-instrumentalist Milo fine, recorded in concert at Studio Toile d'Angles in 2018, with Fine performing on percussion, a Bosendorfer imperial piano, B-flat clarinet & marimba, for 8 pieces of explorative and accomplished dialog. | |
 | Hodgkinson, Tim / Jason Alder / Chris Cundy / Yoni Silver / Heather Roche / Shadanga Duo / Thanos Chrysakis Music For Bass Clarinets (Aural Terrains) |
| A live performance at London's Cafe OTO from composer Thanos Chrysakis, performing compositions focused on the deeper reeds from composers Christian Wolff, Iancu Dumitrescu, Hannes Kerschbaumer, Georges Aperghis, and Chrysakis himself, in configurations from solo to quintet, with Tim Hodgkinson, Jason Alder, Chris Cundy, Heather Roce, Yoni Silver, and Shadanga Duo. | |
 | Alder, Jason / Thanos Chrysakis / Caroline Kraabel / Yoni Silver Music for Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinets & Electronics (Aural Terrains) |
| Exploring the low end of the clarinet family with Jason Alder on bass, contra bass, B flat & E flat clarinets, Yoni Silver on bass clarinet, plus Caroline Kraabel on baritone saxophone & voice, Thanos Chrysakis expanding the sonic space with laptop & synthesizers, in a 5-part series of beautifully paced, absorbing and subtly detailed collective improvisations. | |
 | Chrysakis, Thanos / Chris Cundy / Peer Schlechta / Ove Volquartz Music for Two Organs & Two Bass Clarinets (Aural Terrains) |
| Recording at the Neustadter Kirche in Hofgeismar, Germany, the quartet of Thanos Chrysakis and Peer Schlechta organ with Chris Cundy and Ove Volquartz on bass clarinets, use the resonance and massive sound of their organs to create active improvisations of deep tones, cries, and unearthly squalls, an incredible set of interacting textures and runs. | |
 | Chrysakis, Thanos Equinox (Aural Terrains) |
| A remarkable album of electronic composition from sound experimenter and improviser Thanos Chrysakis, ten stunning compositions that explore a diverse set of tones across a broad spectrum of rich deep timbre and beautiful high frequency ringing, bell-tones at times taking the focus, at others providing a rotating basis for ethereal experiments; sophisticated and engaging! | |
 | Eventless Plot Structures (Creative Sources) |
| Three configurations of delicately detailed, reductionist electroacoustic improv from the Greek Eventless Plot trio of Vasilis Liolios (inside piano, e-bow piano, objects & psaltiri), Yiannis Tsirikoglou (objects, guitar, MAX/MSP) and Aris Giatas (piano), in one piece as a trio, then with guest Chris Cundy on bass clarinet, and a third with Louis Portal on percussion. | |
 | Cundy, Chris Gustav Lost (FMR) |
| A melodic set of improvisations composed by bass clarinetist Chris Cundy, using approaches for songwriting to create compelling jazz compositions, in a band with Fyfe Dangerfield on piano, Mat Martin on guitar, Hannah Marshall on cello, Mark Sanders on drums and Dominic Lash on bass. | |
 | Alonso, Edith Collapse (Aural Terrains) |
| Madrid multi-instrumentalist and cross media artist Edith Alonso in an album of prepared solo electric bass improvisations, a four part work of muscular and shadowy sound, dark vibrations with crepitating edges making a sinister and cathartic dungeon of sound. | |
 | Costa, Carlos Door of No Return (Aural Terrains) |
| Double-bassist Carlo Costa, originally from the Canary Islands and who has worked with Tim Berne, Tomas Fujiwara, Ingar Zach, Wade Matthews, &c. in a solo album of solid and unusual bass technique including plucking, bowing and scraping, in his 9-part series of "Doors". | |
 | Chrysakis, Thanos / Chris Cundy Music for Chamber Organ & Contra Bass Clarinet (Aural Terrains) |
| Electroacoustic improviser Thanos Chrysakis performing on the chamber organ at the University of Gloucestershire, UK in a collaboration with Chris Cundy on contra bass clarinet, for a subtle, mysterious and uncompromising four-part improvisation. | |
 | Chrysakis, Thanos / Chris Cundy / James O'Sullivan Asphodels Abide (Aural Terrains) |
| Sophisticated and interactive electroacoustic improvisation from the trio of Chris Cundy on bass clarinet, James O'Sullivan on guitar, and Aural Terrains label leader Thanos Chrysakis on laptop, synth and radio, performing the six part "Asphodels Abide". | |
 | Edwards, Michael For Rei As A Doe (for piano and computer) (Aural Terrains) |
| UK Composer Michael Edwards wrote these quiet compositions using his "slippery chicken" software, originally written as a challenge to pianist Rei Nakamura, in contrast to his technical skills, instead requiring pensive accuracy over a steady line of quiet chords. | |
 | Chrysakis, Thanos ΕΚΝΗΨΙΣ (Aural Terrains) |
| Aural Terrains label leader and electronic composer Thanos Chrysakis in a work in three movements based on a blending of electronics and acoustic instruments. | |
