Featured below: Andrew Hamilton, Sarah Davachi, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Ashley Paul, Christopher Fox

Listen to the JM – The Journal of Music New Contemporary Releases Spotify playlist: http://ow.ly/P4UK30jzkC7.

Each week The Journal of Music will be compiling news on new and recent releases in contemporary, classical, jazz, traditional music and more. Please send details of all releases to editor [at] journalofmusic.com.

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Andrew Hamilton: music for people
NMC Recordings
20 April 2018

Crash Ensemble, Michelle O’Rourke (soprano), Juliet Fraser (soprano), Maxime Echardour (percussion) and Ives Ensemble all perform on this profile album of the playful, original music of Irish composer Andrew Hamilton. It features three works, music for people who like art (2010) for voice and ensemble, To The People for soprano and percussion, and ‘quasi-chamber concerto’ for harmonium, music for roger casement.

Visit www.nncrec.co.uk.

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Sarah Davachi: Let Night Come On Bells End the Day
Recital Program
13 April

Canadian composer Sarah Davachi performs this album herself on Mellotron and electric organ, creating drone-like music that plays with sound and time, mapping electroacoustic ideas to the acoustic plane. 

Visit www.recitalprogram.com.

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Jóhann Jóhannsson: Englabörn & Variation
Deustche Grammophon
23 March 2018

The Icelandic composer recorded this album just before his passing in February. Englabörn was developed from music written for the play of the same name by Hávar Sigurjónsson, remastered and paired here with reimaginings of earlier works with guest artists such as Ryuichi Sakamoto and A Winged Victory for the Sullen. 

Visit www.deutschegrammophon.com.

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Ashley Paul: Lost in Shadows
Slip
5 April 2018

London-based US composer Ashley Paul’s first album on the Slip Imprint was recorded while on a residency in Zaragoza, Spain, and explores the experience of new motherhood with striking songs, chaotic instrumentation and dazed-sounding vocals.

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Heather Roche: Headlong: Music for Clarinet by Christopher Fox
Divine Art Recordings
February 2018 

Headlong features all but one of composer and JM contributor Christopher Fox’s works for solo clarinet, performed by Heather Roche, representing a range of compositional approaches. Fox also released an album of cello music on the Ergodos label in 2015. 

Read Christopher Fox’s recent article on the impact of Brexit on music here: What Does Brexit Mean for Music?