Messiah Remix

by Handel / Machover / Scanner / B

Overview

Released in time for the 2004 holiday season, this CD intends to offer a new look at the most-performed classical work in December of any given year: Handel's Messiah. Two kinds of listeners may be tempted to approach this album: those who are fond of the original composition and those who can't stand it anymore. The former will probably be more pleased than the latter, for the experimental computer artists invited to remix it have mostly opted for keeping the work highly recognizable. Tod Machover, R. Luke DuBois, Phil Kline, Paul Lansky, and even Nobukazu Takemura fragment, reorganize, and lightly treat sections of the original work, focusing mostly on the choral parts. They stick too close to home to offer something that would reach beyond a "seasonal music for the avant-garde inclined" tag (although Lansky's piece is exquisitely graceful). The real interest of this compilation resides in the contributions that go further, like Scanner's "Insulation Mix," which makes clever deconstructive use of the strings to create a brand new soothing piece, reminiscent in its approach and overall sound of his collaborative album with Jean-Paul Dessy, Play Along. Laetitia Sonami's "Overture on Ice" and Eve Beglarian's "Be/Hold" use isolated fragments of the original piece to construct abstract electronic works of striking yet uncertain beauty. As expected, Daelek's "Messiah [Deadverse Remix]" stands out like a wolf in a henhouse; the rappers' contribution matches the good average of their recorded outings to date, but marks quite a departure from the nine previous tracks on the album. These three pieces are all tucked at the end of the album, creating a dichotomy in the track list between the friendlier/blander first half and the more demanding/meaningful second half. In a few words, Messiah Remix is a good idea that yielded mixed results. ~ Francois Couture

Product Details

Release Date:	10/12/2004
Label:	Cantaloupe
UPC:	0713746293529
Rank:	231416

Tracks

1. Mixed Messiah (after Handel's Messiah)  - Michael Zev Gordon  -  Greenberg Kingsley  - David Lang  - Tod Machover  - Kenny Savelson  - Ken Thomson  - Julia Wolfe
2. Insulation Mix (after Handel's Messiah)  - Michael Zev Gordon  -  Greenberg Kingsley  - David Lang  - Kenny Savelson  -  Scanner  - Ken Thomson  - Julia Wolfe
3. Mqsical Lou (after Handel's Messiah)  - Charles Amirkhanian  - Michael Zev Gordon  -  Greenberg Kingsley  - David Lang  - Kenny Savelson  - Ken Thomson  - Julia Wolfe
4. Convolution (after Handel's Messiah)  - R. Luke DuBois  - Luke Dubois  - Michael Zev Gordon  -  Greenberg Kingsley  - David Lang  - Kenny Savelson  - Ken Thomson  - Julia Wolfe  - Luke Dubois
5. Assembler Mix (after Handel's Messiah)  - Michael Zev Gordon  -  Greenberg Kingsley  - David Lang  - Kenny Savelson  - Nobukazu Takemura  - Ken Thomson  - Julia Wolfe
6. Hallelujah! (after Handel's Messiah)  - Michael Zev Gordon  -  Greenberg Kingsley  - Phil Kline  - David Lang  - Kenny Savelson  - Ken Thomson  - Julia Wolfe
7. Post-Pastoral (after Handel's Messiah)  - Michael Zev Gordon  -  Greenberg Kingsley  - David Lang  - Paul Lansky  - Kenny Savelson  - Ken Thomson  - Julia Wolfe
8. Overture On Ice (after Handel's Messiah)  - Michael Zev Gordon  -  Greenberg Kingsley  - David Lang  - Kenny Savelson  - Laetitia Sonami  - Ken Thomson  - Julia Wolfe  - Laetitia Sonami
9. Be/Hold (after Handel's Messiah)  - Eve Beglarian  - Michael Zev Gordon  -  Greenberg Kingsley  - David Lang  - Kenny Savelson  - Ken Thomson  - Julia Wolfe
10. Messiah [deadverse remix] (after Handel's Messiah)  -  Dalek  - Michael Zev Gordon  -  Greenberg Kingsley  - David Lang  - Kenny Savelson  - Ken Thomson  - Julia Wolfe
11. Partial (after Handel's Messiah)  - Michael Zev Gordon  -  Greenberg Kingsley  - David Lang  - John Oswald  - Kenny Savelson  - Ken Thomson  - Julia Wolfe

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Paul Lansky   Primary Artist,Electronics
Daelek   Primary Artist,Vocals,Ensemble
Nobukazu Takemura   Primary Artist
Charles Amirkhanian   Primary Artist
Eve Beglarian   Primary Artist,Electronics
Phil Kline   Primary Artist,Guitar
John Oswald   Primary Artist
Tod Machover   Primary Artist
R. Luke DuBois   Primary Artist
Laetitia Sonami   Primary Artist,Electronics
Luke Dubois   Electronics

Technical Credits

Daelek   Arranger,Performer,Remixing
Laetitia Sonami   Arranger,Performer,Remixing
Paul Lansky   Arranger,Performer,Remixing
Luke Dubois   Arranger,Remixing,Performer
Phil Kline   Arranger,Performer,Remixing
Eve Beglarian   Arranger,Performer,Remixing
Scanner   Arranger,Performer,Remixing
Tod Machover   Arranger,Performer,Remixing
Charles Amirkhanian   Arranger,Performer,Remixing
John Oswald   Arranger,Performer,Remixing
Nobukazu Takemura   Arranger,Performer,Remixing
David Lang   Executive Producer
Kenny Savelson   Executive Producer
Michael Gordon   Executive Producer
Greenberg Kingsley   Design
Michael Zev Gordon   Executive Producer
Julia Wolfe   Executive Producer
Ken Thomson   Label Manager