Out today on New Amsterdam Records is a groundbreaking new interpretation of Femenine, an iconic work of open-form minimalism composed in 1974 by Julius Eastman. This recording features the Los Angeles-based musical collective Wild Up, and is the opening entry in Wild Up’s multi-volume anthology celebrating Eastman.
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Wild Up slowly comes alive inside this recording of Femenine, the epitome of Eastman’s longform “organic music” — where phrases live inside of phrases, multiple layers ebbing and flowing with the passage of time. Within Femenine, Eastman evolves material based on a two-note, 13-beat “prime” melody, backed throughout by a cosmic clamoring of bells. Simultaneously static and active, “Femenine” lulls listeners into musical reverie. Read more about the project in an interview with Wild Up’s Seth Parker Woods published by I Care If You Listen.
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5 Questions to Seth Parker Woods about Julius Eastman Vol. 1: Femenine
Fittingly released to mark Juneteenth, G. Schirmer applauds Wild Up and New Amsterdam for honoring American emancipation through the work of Eastman, a composer whose liberated spirit and ideas were often stifled by racism and prejudice throughout his singular career. We hope that this new recording inspires musicians, dancers, and other creators to newly consider and engage with Eastman’s music. The full announcement is available to read via New Amsterdam’s website.
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Julius Eastman Vol. 1: Femenine
For more information, please contact your local Wise Music Promotion Team. See Contact Us.
