Surviving the lockdown and musical social distancing, St. Paul-based Innova Records is back on track with some adventurous recordings to brighten your day and widen your ears.
Leader Chris Campbell leads the Orison Ensemble through a collection of seven pieces that are a “Prayer and Meditation”. 
Originally attempting to mix eastern and western contemplation, Campbell creates edgy harmonics with piano and strings on “Parallels, Threading Light” with restless drums under hovering bowed strings on “Rotating Light Mirrors the Water.” The harmonics get prismatic on the gentle “Streams to Source, Object to Origin” with synthesizer sounds hovering on the static “Rotating Hymns”. The high pitched strings on “Ground Calls To Sky” complete this somber reaching out, but is it into the void or a Person?
Composer Danielle Schwob allows here compositions to be interpreted in a wide variety of sonata formats. The stringed PUBLIQuartet is featured on the four part “Out of The Tunnel” suite, with lovely harmonies on “Slow”, yearnings on “Moderated” and agitated to dramatic on “Fast + Coda”. Simon Boyars vibes and Nathalie’s flute create Oriental impressions for “Traveling North” and gorgeous harp crystals glisten on “The Long Way Down” by Ashley Jackson. Michael Nicolas’ cello bows deep and dark on “Reflections on Francis Bacon” with Poulenc-like piano by Orion Weiss on “Reflections on Lucian Freud”. Parlor pleasures.
Compositions by Emily Koh are interpreted by Philip Staudin/bs, Noa Even/ss and the four read New Thread Quartet. The emphasis is on finding out various ranges that the reeds can arrive at, as “Meditation” has Staudin going into the subbest of subtones while Even’s soprano goes higher than altissimo on “B(locked.orders)”. The four saxes get both velvety and prismatic on high pitched “Cryptonym” and long tones echo and pads flutter for “ Heteronym”. A walk through sharp reeds by the bank.
Tiffany Ng plays a series of Carillon bells on modern pieces in various formats. The bells sound like Big Ben clock telling the time on the churchlike “Three Etudes’ while “Six Treatments” include some live electronics that create harpsichord effects and hints of wind chimes. “September Fanfares” includes a brass quintet and percussion for a medieval atmosphere, but most of the time you may be asking yourself “What Time Is It” when you here the bell start ringing.