HCMF 2015: Shorts
Being a Cotswolds lad, born and raised, i’d have to liken HCMF’s ‘Shorts’ day of free miniature concerts yesterday to a long walk over the hills, with spectacular vistas yet passing through numerous...
View ArticleHCMF 2015: Konus Quartett, Daniel Buess & Aleksander Gabryś, Ensemble...
A feature of many of this year’s HCMF concerts has been a blurring of the distinction between pitch and noise, but the midday recital given by Swiss saxophone group Konus Quartett tilted the focus...
View ArticleMixtape #38 : Organ
The theme of the new 5:4 mixtape is one i’ve been wanting to explore for a long while: the organ. It’s an instrument with which i’ve had a pretty infatuated relationship since my teenage years, both as...
View ArticleMixtape #51 : Silence (Requiem)
November is a somewhat sombre month, and not only because the days are getting a lot colder and darker here in the UK. This year’s remembrance ceremonies have had extra potency due to the centenary of...
View ArticleBest Albums of 2018 (Part 1)
Right, let’s cut to the chase: forget all those other narrow, limited, parochial and partisan Best Albums lists, here’s the only list you need: my round-up of the 40 albums that have charmed,...
View ArticleMixtape #53 : Best Albums of 2018
Happy New Year everyone! Many thanks to all of you who have read, followed, commented, shared, promoted and otherwise supported the blog during the previous year, most especially to my beloved band of...
View ArticleJakob Ullmann – Fremde Zeit Addendum 5; Stefan Fraunberger – Quellgeister #3...
i’ve been spending time lately with new releases from two composers towards whose work i’ve hitherto felt almost universally positive. There’s something a little nerve-racking about this, inducing...
View ArticleBest Albums of 2019 (Part 1)
With only a couple of days left until 2019 comes to an end, it’s that time once again to take stock and celebrate the great and the good albums that have been tickling my eardrums in the most beguiling...
View ArticleMixtape #57 : Best Albums of 2019
Happy New Year! i want to start this year by expressing my heartfelt thanks to all of you who have followed and supported 5:4 in the last year, particularly my delectable band of Patrons. Hot on the...
View ArticleMixtape #62 : Fire
For the new 5:4 mixtape, apropos of nothing in particular, i’ve chosen fire as the theme. (Perhaps subconsciously i was reflecting on the fact that the days are getting colder…) As always, the mix...
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