PRS Foundation

Guest of the Month

Here's where we find out what's tickling the ears of our website guest of the month. You can also have a look at previous guests' selections via the list on the left.

Colin Riley is a composer and champion of emerging new music. His work integrates composed scores with electronic and improvised elements as well as aesthetics from popular music. Artistic director of the iF Festival for over a decade, he has also been a mentor for the SPNM’s Adopt A Composer Scheme for the last six years and is a senior lecturer at Brunel University. His recent initiative Music Orbit is a fast-growing network for innovative music artists. Colin’s new band MooV also releases its debut CD fold in September.

Colin’s work has been performed by a wide range of musicians and as well as being commissioned regularly to compose for chamber groups, soloists and orchestras, he has collaborated with artists from very diverse musical worlds. Alongside this in the last few years he has put much time into the nurturing of his own performance groups.

Colin (with jazz saxophonist Tim Whitehead) directs the Homemade Orchestra exploring the integration of a jazz and classical language. After two highly acclaimed albums (Tides and Inside Covers) the ensemble is currently working with poet laureate for children Michael Rosen on a new set of pieces ‘Nonsense’ and will tour the UK in 2008-9.

As well as his work with new ensemble MooV (mixing electronica, song-writing, improvisation and live visuals), Colin is currently recording a collaborative album Squiggle Zipper, with drummer Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson, Earthworks) and Piano Circus, harnessing the power of groove-based material and live electronics. Colin has also just completed an orchestral work for the Henley Festival The Big Sound Symphony combining both instrumental beginners and professionals in one ensemble.

In 2006 he launched his own record label Squeaky Kate with the albums Close and A Green And Yellow Melancholy, receiving critical acclaim from all sections of the music media.

For more information about Colin’s work you can visit www.colinriley.co.uk as well as www.moov.org.uk and www.myspace.com/pianocircuswithbillbruford

For more information about Music Orbit you can visit www.musicorbit.co.uk

Here's what Colin has been listening to...

The following albums have been top of my listening list for the last year or so. I have become very immersed in exploring the kind of procedures and sound-worlds which are able to hang around the simple thread of a song. These artists have the ability to be simple and complex at the same time and also question where the edges of music are. They all seem to achieve it with such seductive results.

David Sylvian: Black Water (Samadhi Sound)
‘Blemish’ is uncompromising in its intentions, either folding electronic soundscapes around Sylvian’s chant-like melodies, or finding pathways for these melodies within the free-improvising textures of Derek Bailey. Its follow-up ‘The Only Daughter’ then develops the material through a series of remixes by invited artists. Certainly not music to dance to!

Susanna and the Magical Orchestra: Melody Mountain (Rune Grammofon)
‘Melody Mountain’ features Susanna Wallumrød’s amazingly poised, yet highly-emotional voice in an eclectic selection of covers. Keyboardist Morten Qvenild’s arrangements are subtle, and evocative. Never have I enjoyed AC/DC more. Again something for lovers of down-tempo.

Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto: Insen (Raster)

When I first heard ‘Insen’ by Carsten Nicolai (aka Alva Noto) I was seduced by its bold simplicity and the way that glitch and lyrical piano fragments are fused.

Sidsel Endresen, Christian Wallumrod, Helge Sten: Merriwinkle (Universal)
Sidsel Endresen: Merriwinkle Sidsel Endresen is a singer who has challenged many of the defined categories of music and through her collaborative work with a range of musicians has produced some startling music. ‘Merriwinkle’, made up of fragmentary improvisations and chance musical happenings is worthy of many listenings.