Dan Dan & Clara
Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Dan Dan & Clara create genre-bending electroacoustic music that spans from spacious ambient improvisations to EDM. Using Dan Dan’s expertise in creating soundscapes from sampled materials as the foundation of their sound, the duo then adds processed clarinet, bass clarinet, and accordion to complete the texture. The collaboration began as a part of the New Mexico Contemporary Ensemble and frequently collaborates with local visual artist, quannumthrow. The duo’s first collaborative album will be self-released on May 1st, 2020.
Website
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
E-mail: [email protected]
Dust City Opera
The Dust City Opera is New Mexico's freshest alternative folk-rock band led by singer/songwriter Paul Hunton. They're known for their unique instrumentation, vibrant covers, and crafty songwriting, often juxtaposing dark, bold subject matter over whimsical, light-hearted melodies. Hunton's songwriting is strikingly visual and spans the spectrum from playful to apocalyptic, balancing his powerful voice over exceptional arrangements of dreamy guitar licks and intensely rich horns.
They are an unusual combination of sounds, including the expected rock band instruments, as well as trombone, accordion, clarinet, and more. Their genre is best described as alternative folk-rock with influences from rock 'n' roll, jazz, classical, and alt-country. Similar artists include: Cake, Tom Waits, Chris Cornell, the Handsome Family, Chet Atkins, and the Felice Brothers.
Formed in early 2018, the Dust City Opera has quickly gained attention around the state, completing dozens of performances, including the notable 2018 Downtown Summerfest in Albuquerque, NM where they opened for national headliner: The Robert Randolph Family Band.
Pictured from left to right: ared Putnam (lead guitar, vocal harmonies), Scott Brewer (bass), Greg Williams (drums), ustin McLauchlin (bass), Travis Rourk (trombone, trumpet, vocal harmonies), Clara Byom (clarinet, accordion), and Paul Hunton (lead vocals, guitar).
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E-mail: [email protected]
They are an unusual combination of sounds, including the expected rock band instruments, as well as trombone, accordion, clarinet, and more. Their genre is best described as alternative folk-rock with influences from rock 'n' roll, jazz, classical, and alt-country. Similar artists include: Cake, Tom Waits, Chris Cornell, the Handsome Family, Chet Atkins, and the Felice Brothers.
Formed in early 2018, the Dust City Opera has quickly gained attention around the state, completing dozens of performances, including the notable 2018 Downtown Summerfest in Albuquerque, NM where they opened for national headliner: The Robert Randolph Family Band.
Pictured from left to right: ared Putnam (lead guitar, vocal harmonies), Scott Brewer (bass), Greg Williams (drums), ustin McLauchlin (bass), Travis Rourk (trombone, trumpet, vocal harmonies), Clara Byom (clarinet, accordion), and Paul Hunton (lead vocals, guitar).
Website
E-mail: [email protected]
clara - Electronic/Electroacoustic Solo Project
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In 2020, Clara started producing electronic music more or less in the genre of IDM (Intelligent Dance Music). Her first IDM album, orange, was released in February 2020 and follow-up albums will be released throughout the year. In late February 2020, Clara had a Jam Stand residency and began work on her first large-scale electroacoustic solo work, VOID, which will be released on July 1st, 2020. Stay tuned to clarabyom.bandcamp.com for all the latest releases.
See Alibi article on "orange".
About orange:
"Brash, disordered and relentless, the two forces walk together for awhile and play games with their contrast, which is less syncopation than it is a study in how things diverge. And they never really come together again." - A. March, Weekly Alibi, February 2020
"After that it’s back to bleeps and bloops as the sublime symbols of a sweet life under the influence of an oppressive environment and in the company of someone very sizzly—like that guy in the Radiohead commercials, only named 'orville.'" - A. March, Weekly Alibi, February 2020
"The sonic palette is consistent throughout the album without getting boring, and the beats were original while still being intuitive. And the last track is much more what expected, which was very fun." - M. Lafontant, March 2020
Get the Albums
E-mail: [email protected]
See Alibi article on "orange".
About orange:
"Brash, disordered and relentless, the two forces walk together for awhile and play games with their contrast, which is less syncopation than it is a study in how things diverge. And they never really come together again." - A. March, Weekly Alibi, February 2020
"After that it’s back to bleeps and bloops as the sublime symbols of a sweet life under the influence of an oppressive environment and in the company of someone very sizzly—like that guy in the Radiohead commercials, only named 'orville.'" - A. March, Weekly Alibi, February 2020
"The sonic palette is consistent throughout the album without getting boring, and the beats were original while still being intuitive. And the last track is much more what expected, which was very fun." - M. Lafontant, March 2020
Get the Albums
E-mail: [email protected]
New Mexico Contemporary Ensemble & Blue Tortoise Duo
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Founded in 2016, the New Mexico Contemporary Ensemble (NMCE) is an artistic collective that works to connect regional and international artists with New Mexico communities. Collaborations with living composers are at the core of the organization, especially with New Mexico-based composers. In an effort to reflect the cultural backdrop of New Mexico, the Ensemble also reaches out to emerging composers from Latin America for collaborations and to promote their work on an international platform. In four years of programming, NMCE has premiered over 35 new pieces, continued the tradition of a Postcard Exchange, and hosted two James Tenney Memorial Symposiums. The ensemble released its first album, [places of transformation], a collaboration with Joshua Carro on May 1st, 2020.
More information: Website Get the Album E-mail: [email protected] |
The Blue Tortoise Duo is a project of the New Mexico Contemporary Ensemble featuring multi-instrumentalists Chris Ogden and Clara Byom. Chris Ogden, an active solo and chamber musician, is a recent graduate of Michigan State University, where he studied with acclaimed saxophonist Joseph Lulloff. An accomplished bassoonist as well, he has played with the Santa Fe Symphony and the New Mexico Philharmonic. He graduated summa cum laude with bachelor's degrees in music education and saxophone performance from the University of New Mexico, where he studied with Eric Lau. Currently, he teaches at the New Mexico School for the Arts in Santa Fe. Clara Byom is co-founder and co-director of the New Mexico Contemporary Ensemble, serves as Development Director of the Klezmer Institute, and is on the board for the New Mexico Contemporary Ensemble. She performs contemporary classical music and a variety of folk dance music, including Jewish klezmer, contra, English Country, Balkan, Scottish, and Irish on clarinets, accordion, and piano. The core of Blue Tortoise Duo repertoire is clarinet and saxophone duos from the 1970s-present.
Website E-mail: [email protected] |
The Parson Sisters
The Parson Sisters is a duo based in Albuquerque, NM, specializing in global folk dance music, including Balkan, Irish, contra, and English Country. Comprised of Mirinisa Stewart-Tengco (strings, vocals, percussion) and Clara Byom (keys, clarinets, vocals, electronics), The Parson Sisters have quickly become sought-after dance musicians throughout the Southwest. In two busy years, they have performed at over 60 events, including FolkMADness, Southwest Pickers Bluegrass and Traditional Music Festival, Albuquerque Folk Festival, Phoenix English Country Tea Dance, Tarab Retreat, dance parties, private events, and four out-of-state tours. From tight vocal harmonies in traditional Macedonian lesnotos to Clara’s charming original tunes to Mirinisa’s exquisite Scandinavian fiddling to psychedelic techno contra, The Parson Sisters provide the most eclectic collection of dance music in the Southwest.
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E-mail: [email protected]
Website
E-mail: [email protected]
Photo Credits: Randi Thompson & Sydney Counce