I have written numerous reviews of CDs, live events and books on new music since 2003 for this blog and various print and online publications, including Tempo, Positionen, Nutida musik, The Wire and Frieze. The following list is updated periodically.
2021
Linda Catlin Smith: Meadow (Louth Contemporary Music Society), Positionen
Adrian Knight: Fly By Night (Thanatosis THT2), Nutida musik
2020
Bastard Assignments: Lockdown Jams (Youtube), The Rambler, 31 July 2020
Linda Buckley: From Ocean’s Floor (NMC), The Rambler, 1 October 2020
Leo Chadburn: The Subject/The Object (Library of Nothing, Bandcamp), Tempo
Amy Cimini and Bill Dietz, eds: Maryanne Amacher: Selected Writings and Interviews (Blank Forms, 2020), Tempo
Amy Cimini and Bill Dietz, eds: Maryanne Amacher: Selected Writings and Interviews (Blank Forms, 2020), The Wire
Frank Denyer: In the Margins of Composition (Vision Edition, 2019), Tempo
London Contemporary Music Festival, Ambika P3, Positionen, 122 (2020), 68–70
Nam June Paik, Tate Modern, London, Positionen no.123 (2020), 107–109
2019
Jane Antonia Cornish: Constellations (innova), The Rambler, 1 February 2019
Kammerklang: Jennifer Walshe and Tony Conrad, Kathryn Williams, Elena Rykova, Down the Rabbit Hole, Cathy van Eck, Hanna Kölbel, Positionen, no. 188 (2019), 71–73
November Music, ’s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, Positionen, no. 118 (2019), 91–93
Steve Clay and Ken Friedman (eds): Intermedia, Fluxus and the Something Else Press: Selected Writings by Dick Higgins (Siglio Press, 2019), Positionen, no. 119 (2019), 78–80
Eva-Maria Houben: Musical Practice as a Form of Life (Transcript Verlag, 2019), The Wire
Angela Ida de Benedictis and Veniero Rizzardi (eds): Nostalgia for the Future: Luigi Nono’s Selected Writings and Interviews (University of California Press, 2019), Positionen, no. 121 (2019), 98–100
SPOR Festival for Contemporary Music and Sound Art 2019, Aarhus, Denmark, Tempo
Suk-Jun Kim: Humming (Bloomsbury, 2019) and Lawrence Kramer: The Hum of the World (University of California Press, 2019), The Wire
2018
Timothy Dunne: Metaphrase, The Rambler (innova 930), 17 April 2018
‘Sounds Funny: A Report from the Borealis Festival’, Frieze, 28 March 2018
Kammerklang: Antonia Barnett-McIntosh, David Helbich, Matt Rogers, Cafe Oto, Tempo
Irene Kurka: Chants, The Rambler (EWR 1710) 17 April 2018
Alexander Knaifel: Lukomoriye (ECM New Series 2436), Tempo
Arvo Pärt: The Symphonies (ECM), The Rambler, 18 April 2018
Heather Roche: Christopher Fox: Headlong (Métier MSV28573), The Rambler, 17 April 2018
Amnon Wolman: Security Vehicles Only (Intermedia, Bandcamp), Tempo
2017
Laurence Crane: Sound of Horse, asamisamas (Hubro HUBROCD2582) and 6 Trios, 2 Solos and 1 Quintet, Ives Ensemble (Nimbus NI6337), Tempo
Crystal Mooncone: Listening Beam Five (innova 973), The Rambler, 2 May 2017
Grant Cutler: Self Portrait (innova 961), The Rambler, 2 May 2017
Chaya Czernowin: Infinite Now, Opera Vlannderen, Ghent, The Rambler, 20 April 2017
EXAUDI: James Weeks: Mala Punica (Winter&Winter 910 239-2), The Rambler, 2 May 2017
Arturo Fuentes: Broken Mirrors; Liquid Crystals; Ice Reflection; Glass Distortion. Quatuor Diotima (Kairos 0015015KAI), Tempo
‘Forty Years of the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival’, Frieze, 7 December 2017
Bill Alves and Brett Campbell: Lou Harrison: American Musical Maverick (Indiana University Press, 2017)
Julius Eastman at LCMF: Part 1, Part 2, The Rambler, 16 and 19 December 2017
Eva-Maria Houben: livres d’heures (EWR 1607/08), The Rambler, 2 May 2017
Ragnar Kjartansson: An die Musik, London Contemporary Music Festival, Ambika P3, The Rambler, 28 December 2017
Nordic Music Days, Southbank Centre, London, Nutida musik
Only Connect Festival of Sound 2017, Oslo, Tempo
Luís Antunes Pena: Caffeine (Wergo WER6416 2), Tempo
Manfred Werder: 2003/1–3 (EWR 1601-03), The Rambler, 2 May 2017
Seth Parker Woods: awordisnotenough (Confront ccs69), The Rambler, 29 March 2017
2016
Loadbang: Lungpowered (New Focus Recordings FCR163), Tempo, no. 276 (2016)
Diego Castro Magas: Shrouded in Mirrors (HCR10 CD), The Rambler, 30 September 2016
Jesper Nordin: Double Concerto; Frames in Transit (dB Productions dBCD159), Nutida musik, no. 258 (2016), 57
Norrbotten NEO: The Age of Wire and String (Studio Acusticum SA02) and New Sweden: Diptychon (Studio Acusticum SA05), Nutida musik
Rose Dodd, ed.: Perspectives on the Music of Christopher Fox (Ashgate), The Rambler, 17 November 2016
Leon Michener: Klavikon (Nonclassical: NONCLSS020) The Rambler, 3 November 2016
Heather Roche: Ptelea (HCR09 CD), The Rambler, 30 September 2016
Philip Thomas: Michael Finnissy: Beat Generation Ballads (HCR11 CD), The Rambler, 30 September 2016
Philip Venables: 4.48 Psychosis, Royal Opera House at Lyric Hammersmith, London; Liza Lim: Tree of Codes: Cut-outs in Time, Musikfabrik, Cologne Opera, Cologne, Tempo
2015
Frank Denyer: Whispers (Another Timbre at82), Tempo
New York Philharmonic Orchestra: Contact!, Milton Court Concert Hall, London, Tempo
The Vocal Constructivists: Walking Still (innova 898); EXAUDI: ‘Exposure 2014’, Bishopsgate Institute, London; Kammer Klang, Café OTO, London, Tempo
Marie Samuelsson: Solgudinnan (Myran Prod 01), Nutida musik, no. 3 (2014–15), 45
Dan Truemam: Nostalgic Synchronic, Adam Sliwinski (New Amsterdam Records NWAM070); Eve Egoyan: Linda Catlin Smith: Thought and Desire (Earwitness Editions/World Edition EE2015), Tempo
2014
Joseph Auner: Music in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries (W.W. Norton and Company), Tempo no.268 (2014), 108–123
Keith Potter, Kyle Gann and Pwyll ap Siôn, eds: The Ashgate Research Companion to Minimalist and Postminimalist Music (Ashgate, 2103), Tempo
Lars Petter Hagen: Norwegian Archives (Aurora, ACD5074), Nutida musik no. 3 (2013–14), 51
2013
Jennifer Radbourne, Hilary Glow and Katya Johnson, eds: The Audience Experience: A Critical Analysis of Audiences in the Performing Arts (Intellect), Tempo
Alex Hills: The Music of Making Strange (Carrier Records 019), Tempo
musikFabrik: Liza Lim: Tongue of the Invisible (Wergo 6859 2), The Rambler, June 2013
‘Just what London needs’, The London Ear Festival of Contemporary Music, The Rambler, April 2013
ELISION in Huddersfield, The Rambler, February 2013
Birmingham Opera Company: Stockhausen: Mittwoch, Tempo, no.263 (2013), 69–70
2012
Arvo Pärt in Conversation (Dalkey Archive, 2012), The Rambler, November 2012
Tom Johnson: Correct Music (populist records, PR002), The Rambler, October 2012
Loré Lixenberg, Gregory Rose, Robert Worby: Cage: Song Books (sub rosa, SR344), The Rambler, September 2012
Carla Rees, Scott Miller: Devices and Desires (rarescale, rr004), The Rambler, September 2012
Birmingham Opera Company: MITTWOCH aus LICHT, The Rambler, August 2012
James Saunders and John Lely: Word Events (Continuum, 2012), The Rambler, July 2012
JACK Quartet: Wigmore Hall Live (WHLive0053), The Rambler, May 2012
2011
ELISION: City of London Festival, Music We’d Like to Hear, The Rambler, September 2011
Simon Cummings: Simulated Music (CD, i05), The Rambler, June 2011
Chaya Czernowin: Shifting Gravity (Wergo 6726-2), The Rambler, May 2011
Music from Stanford, vol.4 (innova 733), and Mark Applebaum: The Metaphysics of Notation (innova 787), The Rambler, May 2011
The NYFA Collection: 25 Years of New York New Music (innova 233), The Rambler, May 2011
ELISION: Brian Ferneyhough solo, The Rambler, March 2011
Brian Ferneyhough: Total Immersion, Musical Pointers, February 2011
2010
Radius, Purcell Room, Musical Opinion, no.1474 (2010), 38 only
Alkan, Grand Sonate ‘Les quatre ages’, Musical Pointers, January 2010
Leon Michener and group, King’s Place, The Rambler, January 2010
Nadia Sirota: First Things First (New Amsterdam), The Rambler, January 2010
Björn Heile, ed.: The Modernist Legacy (Cambridge, 2009), Tempo, no.251 (2010), 62–5
Ian Wilson: Sullen earth (Riverrun RVRCD80), Tempo, no.251 (2010), 88 only
Borealis Festival Launch, Kings Place, The Rambler, February 2010
ELISION: Invisibility, Kings Place, Musical Pointers, February 2010
Roman Maciejewski: Missa pro defunctis, Westminster Cathedral, Musical Criticism, February 2010
Christopher Fox: Catalogue irraisoné (Métier MSVCD 92103), Musical Pointers, February 2010
Mark Knoop, Sound Studio, City University, Musical Pointers, February 2010
Peter Ablinger: 33-127 (Mode 206), The Rambler, March 2010
Brian Ferneyhough: Terrain, etc. (Kairos 0013072KAI), Musical Pointers, March 2010
ELISION: Terrain, Kings Place, Musical Pointers, March 2010
ELISION: Codex, Kings Place, Musical Pointers, June 2010
Amy X. Neuburg and the Cello Chixtet: The Secret Language of Subways (Starkland CD MM 017)), The Rambler, June 2010
Cornelius Dufallo: Dream Streets (Innova 735), The Rambler, June 2010
Beat Furrer: String Quartet no.3 (Kairos 0013132KAI), The Rambler, July 2010
Three CDs from the American Festival of Microtonal Music (Pitch P-200213, P-200214, P-200215), Musical Pointers, July 2010
ENO/Punchdrunk/Torsten Rasch: The Duchess of Malfi, Musical Criticism, July 2010
David Gorton: Trajectories (Métier MSVCD 92103), Musical Pointers, July 2010
Bayan Northcott: The Way We Listen Now (Woodbridge, 2009) and Roger Scruton: Understanding Music (London), 2009), Tempo, no.253 (2010), 59
Toca Loca: P*P (Centrediscs CMCCD 15009), The Rambler, August 2010
Anti-Social Music: Fracture: The Music of Pat Muchmore (innova 760), The Rambler, August 2010
Johnny Parry/Partial Gathering: _DRIFT Part 3: Death, Old Vic Tunnels, The Rambler, August 2010
2009
Park Lane Group Young Artists, Musical Pointers, January 2009
Stockhausen: Total Immersion, Musical Pointers, January 2009
Elliott Carter and John Woolrich, Musical Pointers, January 2009
Chris Dench: Ik(s)land[s] (NMC D089); Richard Barrett: transmission (NMC D117), Musical Pointers, February 2009
Ian Pace: Musical Pointers, February 2009
Darragh Morgan and Mary Dullea, Musical Pointers, February 2009
Fidelio Trio, Musical Pointers, February 2009
Vladimir Martynov: Vita nuova, Musical Pointers, February 2009
Barry Schrader: Monkey King (Innova); Paul Abbott: Three Left Legacies (idiam); Svet Stoyanov: Percussive Counterpoint (Concert Artists Guild), The Rambler, February 2009
Paul Whitty: thirty-nine pages (Metier MSV28509), Musical Pointers, March 2009
Morton Feldman: For Christian Wolff (BRIDGE 9279A/C), Musical Pointers, March 2009
ELISION, Musical Pointers, April 2009
Richard Haynes, The Rambler, May 2009
New Amsterdam Records: William Brittelle: Mohair Time Warp; QQQ: Unpacking the Trailer; Corey Dargel: Other People’s Love Songs, The Rambler, May 2009
Mark Knoop: David Lumsdaine: Complete Music for Solo Piano (Tall Poppies TP198), The Rambler, June 2009
Radius, Musical Pointers, June 2009
Phil Kline: Around the World in a Daze; John The Revelator, The Rambler, June 2009
Esa-Pekka Salonen: Helix; Piano Concerto; Dichotomie (Deutsche Grammophon 477 8103), Musical Pointers, July 2009
David Matthews: Orchestral Works (Chandos CHAN 10487), Musical Pointers, July 2009
Krzysztof Penderecki: St Luke Passion, Canterbury Cathedral, Musical Opinion, no. (2009), p.
Richard Barrett: Opening of the Mouth (ABC Classics 476 3174), Tempo, no.250 (2009), 78–9
Darragh Morgan and Mary Dullea / Paul Whitty: thirty-nine pages, Schott’s and Co., Musical Opinion, no.1473 (2009), p.45; also Musical Pointers, September 2009
new music::new ireland 1 (Morgan/Dullea), Musical Pointers, October 2009
EXAUDI, Musical Pointers, November 2009
Carl Rosman and Richard Haynes, Musical Pointers, November 2009
Enikő Magyar, The Rambler, December 2009
Liza Lim: The Navigator, MusicalCriticism.com, December 2009
2008
Radius, The Rambler, January 2008
New Noise, Musical Pointers, April/May 2008
Luigi Nono: Promoteo, Musical Pointers, April/May 2008 [live]
Tony Conrad, The Rambler, June 2008
EXAUDI, Musical Pointers, June/July 2008
Fidelio Trio, Musical Pointers, June/July 2008
Luigi Nono: Promoteo (Col legno SACD 20605), Musical Pointers, September 2008
Dave Smith, The Rambler, September 2008
Thomas Larcher and Toru Takemitsu, Musical Pointers, September 2008
Tom Heasley and Toss Panos: Passages (Full Bleed); Joan Jeanrenaud: Strange Toys (Talking House); Paul Bailey Ensemble: Retrace Our Steps (Creative Commons), The Rambler, September 2008
Danielle Fosler-Lussier: Music Divided: Bartók’s Legacy in Cold War Culture (University of California Press, 2007) and Rachel Beckles Willson: Ligeti, Kurtág and Hungarian Music during the Cold War (Cambridge University Press, 2007), Tempo, no.243 (2008), 70–72
Michael van der Aa, Musical Pointers, October/November 2008
Lasse Thoresen: AbUno; Thus; Yr; Qudrat (AURORA ACD4968) and Som bølger på ett hav (NMH 9308), Musical Pointers, October/November 2008
Xenakis, Messiaen, Ligeti, Benjamin, Musical Pointers, October/November 2008
Gérard Grisey: Les espaces acoustiques, Musical Pointers, October/November 2008
Libra Duo, Musical Pointers, October/November 2008
Asamisamasa Duo, Musical Pointers, October/November 2008
Dumitrescu/Avram, Musical Pointers, October/November 2008
2007
TJ Norris: triMix (Innova), The Rambler, January 2007
Various artists: The Art of the Virtual Rhythmicon (Innova), The Rambler, January 2007
Tin Hat: The Sad Machinery of Spring (Rykodisc), The Rambler, January 2007
Underground Contemporary Music Ensemble, New Notes online [subscriber-only access], February 2007
Paul Griffiths: A Concise History of Western Music (Cambridge University Press, 2006), The Rambler, February 2007
Gobsmack, New Notes online [subscriber-only access], March 2007
Tansy Davies: neon, Stuart MacRae: Interact (London Sinfonietta), New Notes online [subscriber-only access], April 2007
Cross-Atlantic Composers Partnership, New Notes online [subscriber-only access], April 2007
BBC Singers, New Notes online [subscriber-only access], May 2007
Philip Bimstein: Larkin Gifford’s Harmonica (Starkland), The Rambler, May 2007
Uroboros Ensemble, New Notes online [subscriber-only access], June 2007
Ute Wassermann, Richard Barrett: Pollen (Creative Sources), The Rambler, June 2007
John Morton: Solo Traveller (Innova), The Rambler, June 2007
Loré Lixenberg and David Alberman, Spitalfields Festival, New Notes online [subscriber-only access], June 2007
RAM Soloists, Spitalfields Festival, New Notes online [subscriber-only access], June 2007
Martin Butler: American Rounds (NMC), New Notes online [subscriber-only access], June 2007
Philip Thomas: Comprovisation (Bruce’s Fingers), New Notes online [subscriber-only access], June 2007
Cattral (Mats Scheidegger, guitar, Rico Gubler, sax), The Rambler, July 2007
Tim Parkinson, Music We’d Like to Hear, The Rambler, July 2007
Erdem Helvacıoğlu: Altered Realities (New Albion), The Rambler, August 2007
Contemporary Music from Ireland, vol.6 (CMC), New Notes online [subscriber-only access], September 2007
Peter Eötvös: Chinese Opera, New Notes online [subscriber-only access], October 2007
Roland Dahinden: flying white (mode), New Notes online [subscriber-only access], November 2007
Aleksander Szram: Into the 21st Century (Fonorum), The Rambler, November 2007
Sarah Nicolls: Hyper-Piano, New Notes online [subscriber-only access], December 2007
Enno Poppe, New Notes online [subscriber-only access], December 2007
2006
The Holst Singers, The Rambler, January 2006
Corey Dargel: Less Famous Than You (Use Your Teeth), The Rambler, March 2006
Derek Bermel, The Rambler, April 2006
The Holst Singers, The Rambler, April 2006
Corey Dargel, The Rambler, May 2006
Juice, The Rambler, June 2006
Rich Woodson’s Ellipsis: The Nail That Stands Up Gets Pounded Down, The Rambler, August 2006
Polar Bear/Elysian Quartet/Princess and the Pervert, The Rambler, August 2006
Mark Applebaum: Asylum; Judy Dunaway: Mother of Balloon Music; Alexandra Gardner: Luminoso (all Innova), The Rambler, August 2006
Tigran Mansurian: Ars poetica (ECM), New Notes online [subscriber-only access], September 2006
Yoav Gal and Yael Kanarek: Bit by bit, cell by cell; Harry Partch: Enclosure 7 (both Innova), The Rambler, September 2006
Colmore Consort: Moments of Vision (Colmore Consort), New Notes online [subscriber-only access], September 2006
Apartment House/Parkinson-Saunders, New Notes online [subscriber-only access], October 2006
IXION, New Notes online [subscriber-only access], October 2006
vintage 909: Scanning (7hings), New Notes online [subscriber-only access], October 2006
György and Martá Kurtág, New Notes online [subscriber-only access], November 2006
Canticum: In the Gloom of Whiteness (Craft Music), New Notes online [subscriber-only access], November 2006
Helmut Lachenmann: Ausklang, Kontrakadenz, New Notes online [subscriber-only access], November 2006
2005
‘First Performances: Warsaw Autumn Festival 2004′, Tempo, no.232 (2005), 75–7
Jonny Greenwood/London Sinfonietta, The Rambler, March 2005
London Sinfonietta, The Rambler, May 2005
2004
John Cage Uncaged, The Rambler, January 2004
Murail, Grisey, Dufourt, The Rambler, February 2004
Elysian Quartet, The Rambler, March 2004
Ian Wilson: from the Book of Longing (Riverrun RVRCD65), Tempo, no.230 (2004), 85–6
2003
Radiohead, Earl’s Court, The Rambler, November 2003
The Rambler 