Altered Zones

Usually when a musician is described as having genre elements of classical, jazz, and experimental music, I assume the worst: adult contemporary "Mom-Jazz". Though Colin Stetson's horn explorations do have these qualities, his music avoids this hazardous pitfall. While listening to his second album, New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges, you would never guess it was performed nearly entirely live (guest vocals from Laurie Anderson aside). But using the recordings of 20 microphones placed throughout the room, Stetson casts the mystery of its other-worldly sound aside. At the face of speedily manufactured knob twisters, laptop poppers, and lazy "sample-based" musicians, it's good to know that after the musical apocalypse someone around here can actually play a real instrument.

MP3: Colin Stetson: "The Stars In His Head (Dark Lights Remix)"

New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges will be issued on CD in custom 100% recycled paperboard gatefold jacket and 180g LP with limited edition screenprinted poster from Constellation Records