Cascades is a collaborative extended play between electronic musician Michael Silver, known by his stage name CFCF, and neoclassical pianist Jean-Michel Blais. The EP is a set of five post-minimalistambient re-workings, the first four of them being of original tracks by Blais and CFCF and the final one being a rework of John Cage's "In A Landscape." Released by the label Arts & Crafts on March 15, 2017, Cascades received very positive opinions from professional music critics, a common praise being the "distinct blend of the artists’ digital styles," stated PopMatters.
Cascades includes a reworking of the piece "In A Landscape" by John Cage.
In 2016, Red Bull Music Academy planned a live performance collaboration between electronic musician Michael Silver, known by his stage name as CFCF, and neoclassical pianist Jean-Michel Blais, both Canadian musicians.[2] When the two met each other to talk about the performance, Silver and Blais noted they had the same musical influences and almost similar melodic lines, which influenced them to make an extended play together for the performance; Cascades was the result.[2] The making of one of the tracks, a rework of John Cage's "In A Landscape," started with Jean-Michel studying the sheet music of the original piece with initially no intentions of creating a rework. However, he then created a chord progression for the monophonic composition, and Silver and Jean-Michel created a rework of the piece based on Jean-Michel's chord structure.[3] The rework premiered via RBMA Radio on February 21, 2017,[4] and the label Arts & Crafts issued Cascades to digital stores on March 15 and on physical formats on April 14.[4]
Compositionedit
Cascades is a set of improvised post-minimalist[5]ambient[3] piano-and-synthesizer re-workings of five pieces: two tracks originally by Blais ("Hasselblad 1" and "Hypocrite"), two songs originally by CFCF ("Two Mirrors" and "Spirit"), and John Cage's "In A Landscape."[2][3] Jean-Michel stated that he produced Cascades based on phenomenology: "This idea of repetition, even if it’s the same chord and you’ve heard it for four minutes, it’s not the same chord even if it’s technically the same, your experience to it is different because your mind went somewhere else and it might be affecting you physiologically or just emotionally; it’s changing and touching upon an almost meditative mood."[3] Some writers stated that they had nostalgic feelings when listening to the EP.[6][3] As Meaghan Garvey wrote, "Immediately, there is something about the way [Michel] plays [the piano], some nameless sense of aching nostalgia for a forgotten memory, that catches in my throat."[6]Popmatters Brian Duricy stated the melodies reminded him of the ambient mixtapes he listened to as a kid.[3]
The first three tracks of Cascades are the reworks of "Hasselblad 1," "Two Mirrors," and "Spirit," which mostly consist of piano with only a few parts of Silver's synthesizer swells.[7] In the first two tracks, it "feels like they're establishing their respective spaces rather than moving as a single unit," but by the third song, "they're clicking, and the record has successfully outlined its parameters," wrote Pitchfork reviewer Andy Beta.[7] “Two Mirrors" revolves around what Beta described as a "repetitive piano line redolent of Philip Glass," as more notes of the higher and lower pitches enter the track.[7] Some reviewers described "Hypocrite" as a trance-style or EDM-like cut.[6][5][8][1] It begins with a simple piano melody before arpeggiated synthesizer riffs[5] play to tense up and drop constantly like an EDM track.[7][6] The EP ends on a calmer note with "In a Landscape," where the piano is played over a background of radio sound effects, synthesizer strings, flickering electronic sounds, marimbas, and chimes.[7]
Duricy wrote that many of the critical reviews of Cascades praised the "distinct blend of the artists’ digital styles."[3] Beta opined that it "finds Silver and Blais warily feeling one another other out and then synchronizing to exalted effect by the record's end."[7]Exclaim! also highlighted Blais and Silver's "chemistry," reasoning that "Blais' playing suits very well the pristine and glossy production Silver employed for those recordings, injecting it with a real sense of purpose here."[8] As an AllMusic critic stated, "Both artists are so versatile that such a bombastic neo-trance piece ["Hypocrite"] feels completely at home being followed up by a reworking of Cage's "In a Landscape," which starts out slightly distant and scattered before gradually becoming more detailed and harmonic. Excellent work from both artists."[5] A Tiny Mix Tapes critic wrote that, "For the listener, it’s something too rare these days: an exceedingly pleasant listen, unburdened by the weight of being anything more."[1]Exclaim! ranked the release at number 4 on their Top 11 EPs of 2017 list.
^ abcdCorrigan B. "CFCF & Jean-Michel Blais – Cascades". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
^ abcSkinner, Oliver (March 15, 2017). "CFCF and Jean-Michel Blais's unlikely pairing: How pop and classical made a magical musical merger". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
^ abcdefgDuricy, Brian (April 27, 2017). ""A Reflection of Your Internal Life": A Conversation with CFCF and Jean-Michel Blais". PopMatters. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
^ abcdPrzybyslawski, Corinne (February 21, 2017). "Listen to CFCF and Jean-Michel Blais' Lush Rework of John Cage's "In a Landscape"". Thump. Vice Media. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
^ abcdGarvey, Meaghan (April 5, 2017). "Classical Beauty: A Conversation With Jean-Michel Blais And CFCF". MTV News. Viacom Inc. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
^ abcdefgBeta, Andy (March 15, 2017). "Jean-Michel Blais / CFCF: Cascades". Pitchfork. Conde Nast. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
^ abcPearson, Luke (March 15, 2017). "CFCF & Jean-Michel Blais Cascades". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
^"Reviews and Tracks for Cascades [EP] by CFCF". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
^"Jean-Michel Blais & CFCF – Cascades". Arts & Crafts Official Website. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
January 01, 1970
cascades, cascades, collaborative, extended, play, between, electronic, musician, michael, silver, known, stage, name, cfcf, neoclassical, pianist, jean, michel, blais, five, post, minimalist, ambient, workings, first, four, them, being, original, tracks, blai. Cascades is a collaborative extended play between electronic musician Michael Silver known by his stage name CFCF and neoclassical pianist Jean Michel Blais The EP is a set of five post minimalist ambient re workings the first four of them being of original tracks by Blais and CFCF and the final one being a rework of John Cage s In A Landscape Released by the label Arts amp Crafts on March 15 2017 Cascades received very positive opinions from professional music critics a common praise being the distinct blend of the artists digital styles stated PopMatters CascadesEP by Jean Michel Blais and CFCFReleasedMarch 15 2017GenreAmbient post minimalist neoclassical 1 Length30 47LabelArts amp CraftsProducerJean Michel Blais CFCFJean Michel Blais chronologyIl 2016 Cascades 2017 Dans ma main 2018 CFCF chronologyOn Vacation Remixes 2016 Cascades 2017 Singles from Cascades In a Landscape Released February 21 2017 Contents 1 History 2 Composition 3 Critical reception 4 Track listing 5 Release history 6 ReferencesHistory edit nbsp Cascades includes a reworking of the piece In A Landscape by John Cage In 2016 Red Bull Music Academy planned a live performance collaboration between electronic musician Michael Silver known by his stage name as CFCF and neoclassical pianist Jean Michel Blais both Canadian musicians 2 When the two met each other to talk about the performance Silver and Blais noted they had the same musical influences and almost similar melodic lines which influenced them to make an extended play together for the performance Cascades was the result 2 The making of one of the tracks a rework of John Cage s In A Landscape started with Jean Michel studying the sheet music of the original piece with initially no intentions of creating a rework However he then created a chord progression for the monophonic composition and Silver and Jean Michel created a rework of the piece based on Jean Michel s chord structure 3 The rework premiered via RBMA Radio on February 21 2017 4 and the label Arts amp Crafts issued Cascades to digital stores on March 15 and on physical formats on April 14 4 Composition editCascades is a set of improvised post minimalist 5 ambient 3 piano and synthesizer re workings of five pieces two tracks originally by Blais Hasselblad 1 and Hypocrite two songs originally by CFCF Two Mirrors and Spirit and John Cage s In A Landscape 2 3 Jean Michel stated that he produced Cascades based on phenomenology This idea of repetition even if it s the same chord and you ve heard it for four minutes it s not the same chord even if it s technically the same your experience to it is different because your mind went somewhere else and it might be affecting you physiologically or just emotionally it s changing and touching upon an almost meditative mood 3 Some writers stated that they had nostalgic feelings when listening to the EP 6 3 As Meaghan Garvey wrote Immediately there is something about the way Michel plays the piano some nameless sense of aching nostalgia for a forgotten memory that catches in my throat 6 Popmatters Brian Duricy stated the melodies reminded him of the ambient mixtapes he listened to as a kid 3 The first three tracks of Cascades are the reworks of Hasselblad 1 Two Mirrors and Spirit which mostly consist of piano with only a few parts of Silver s synthesizer swells 7 In the first two tracks it feels like they re establishing their respective spaces rather than moving as a single unit but by the third song they re clicking and the record has successfully outlined its parameters wrote Pitchfork reviewer Andy Beta 7 Two Mirrors revolves around what Beta described as a repetitive piano line redolent of Philip Glass as more notes of the higher and lower pitches enter the track 7 Some reviewers described Hypocrite as a trance style or EDM like cut 6 5 8 1 It begins with a simple piano melody before arpeggiated synthesizer riffs 5 play to tense up and drop constantly like an EDM track 7 6 The EP ends on a calmer note with In a Landscape where the piano is played over a background of radio sound effects synthesizer strings flickering electronic sounds marimbas and chimes 7 Critical reception editProfessional ratingsAggregate scoresSourceRatingMetacritic81 100 9 Review scoresSourceRatingAllMusic nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 5 Exclaim 8 10 8 Pitchfork7 3 10 7 Tiny Mix Tapes nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 1 Duricy wrote that many of the critical reviews of Cascades praised the distinct blend of the artists digital styles 3 Beta opined that it finds Silver and Blais warily feeling one another other out and then synchronizing to exalted effect by the record s end 7 Exclaim also highlighted Blais and Silver s chemistry reasoning that Blais playing suits very well the pristine and glossy production Silver employed for those recordings injecting it with a real sense of purpose here 8 As an AllMusic critic stated Both artists are so versatile that such a bombastic neo trance piece Hypocrite feels completely at home being followed up by a reworking of Cage s In a Landscape which starts out slightly distant and scattered before gradually becoming more detailed and harmonic Excellent work from both artists 5 A Tiny Mix Tapes critic wrote that For the listener it s something too rare these days an exceedingly pleasant listen unburdened by the weight of being anything more 1 Exclaim ranked the release at number 4 on their Top 11 EPs of 2017 list Track listing editDerived from the liner notes of Cascades 10 No TitleRework of a piece byLength1 Hasselblad 1 Jean Michel Blais3 392 Two Mirrors CFCF5 453 Spirit CFCF5 204 Hypocrite Jean Michel Blais5 135 In a Landscape John Cage10 50Total length 30 47Release history editRegion Date Format s Label Worldwide 11 March 15 2017 4 Digital download Arts amp Crafts April 14 2017 4 VinylReferences edit a b c d Corrigan B CFCF amp Jean Michel Blais Cascades Tiny Mix Tapes Retrieved October 14 2017 a b c Skinner Oliver March 15 2017 CFCF and Jean Michel Blais s unlikely pairing How pop and classical made a magical musical merger Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Retrieved October 22 2017 a b c d e f g Duricy Brian April 27 2017 A Reflection of Your Internal Life A Conversation with CFCF and Jean Michel Blais PopMatters Retrieved October 14 2017 a b c d Przybyslawski Corinne February 21 2017 Listen to CFCF and Jean Michel Blais Lush Rework of John Cage s In a Landscape Thump Vice Media Retrieved October 22 2017 a b c d e Simpson Paul Cascades Jean Michel Blais CFCF AllMusic Rovi Corporation Retrieved October 14 2017 a b c d Garvey Meaghan April 5 2017 Classical Beauty A Conversation With Jean Michel Blais And CFCF MTV News Viacom Inc Retrieved October 22 2017 a b c d e f g Beta Andy March 15 2017 Jean Michel Blais CFCF Cascades Pitchfork Conde Nast Retrieved October 14 2017 a b c Pearson Luke March 15 2017 CFCF amp Jean Michel Blais Cascades Exclaim Retrieved October 14 2017 Reviews and Tracks for Cascades EP by CFCF Metacritic CBS Interactive Retrieved October 14 2017 Cascades 2017 Jean Michel Blais and CFCF Arts amp Crafts ACX269 Jean Michel Blais amp CFCF Cascades Arts amp Crafts Official Website Retrieved October 14 2017 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cascades EP amp oldid 1098342872, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
