Sometimes stuff justs fall from heaven on Symphonic Monday.
Nu Deco Ensemble, "An Orchestral Tribute to Lauryn Hill", including:
1. Lost Ones/Everything Is Everything
2. Every Ghetto, Every City
3. Can't Take My Eyes Off of You - (I Love You Baby)
4. Doo Wop (That Thing)
Lauren Hill's originals: 2009; Nu Deco Ensemble performed these at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami, FL on April 28th, 2023.
#SymphonicMonday is a great chance to repeat how much I love Chinese symphonic folk metal band Mysterain 
故卷 (Ancient Scroll) LIVE by 小雨 (Mysterain), youtube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1-DuA7dsf4
Symphonic Monday, and we stay ambient in the current century –
Steve Roach, "One Day" feat. Linda Kohanov on electric viola (live, 2024)
Steve Roach and Linda Kohanov created the track at The Eagle’s Nest Baja, Arizona.
Symphonic Monday, and we creep on up into the current century –
Carbon Based Lifeforms, "Silent Running" (2003; live, from 2020's ALT:02 compilation)
The Swedish duo of Johannes Hedberg and Daniel Vadestrid.
Symphonic Monday and in the mood for some ambient-type music, starting with some early stuff from 45 years ago:
Cluster, "Breitengrad 20" (1979)
Bascially Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius, joined by Peter Baumann of Tangerine Dream as producer.
And into this century for the third piece on the first Symphonic Monday of February 2025 – those who've listened to Astor Piazzolla or Grace Jones will get it: something familiar yet … not, to take you away –
Be Svendsen, "Tape I - STRANGE" 17:05 (June 2024)
From a Danish musician, a type of techno that has been described as "Tarantino Techno". I'm not putting that as a hashtag …
The first Symphonic Monday of February 2025, and the first piece of music that took me somewhere else, with something familiar, yet … not –
Brian Eno, "Fullness Of Wind (Variation On 'The Canon In D Major' by Johann Pachelbel)" 09:55 (1975)
From "Discreet Music" and recorded by the Cockpit Ensemble (i.e., the unnamed studio musicians), Gavin Bryars conducting. Lower-pitched instruments play at slower tempos.
Here we are, the first Monday in February 2025, and it's a Symphonic Monday. Music to take you somewhere else, then –
Iannis Xenakis, "Jonchaies" 15:51 (1977)
Recorded by the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, Arturo Tamayo conducting, at Conservatoire de la Ville de Luxembourg in March and April 2001.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb3Sn8g1o_Y
Read more:
https://classicalexburns.com/2021/11/15/iannis-xenakis-jonchaies-an-orchestral-cacophony/
Then a little jump over to England and the early nineties for a bit of ambient techno –
The Future Sound of London, "Papua New Guinea" (1992; in the US, 1996)
When I first heard this track, I felt a little better about the future sound of electronic music …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOk7oAzrFGk
#Music #SymphonicMonday
#AmbientTechno #TheFutureSoundOfLondon #FSOL
Sticking with Krautrock and the seventies for this Symphonic Monday, and a track that is clearly labeled –
Faust, "Krautrock" (11:47) (1973)
This track from "Faust IV" is what most listeners expected of Faust (minimalist, dissonant).
More for Symphonic Monday, now that it's Monday again, starting with some mid-seventies stuff –
Kraftwerk, "Kometenmelodie 1" (1974)
From Side B of the "Autobahn" LP, where one discovered tracks that you couldn't sing along to (no more "Wir fahren, fahren, fahren, auf der Autobahn …").
The line-up:
Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider, with newer members Wolfgang Flür and Klaus Röder.
Third part of a sonic hop-skip-jump through the 1970s for Symphonic Monday, in which we jump back to 1978 –
Lou Reed, "Street Hassle" (1978)
I. "Waltzing Matilda"
II. "Street Hassle"
III. "Slipaway"
Watch out for some of the lyrics.
On the other hand, this is a gorgeous binaural track for headphones.
Bruce Springsteen is the voice on II. "Street Hassle", and Aram Schefrin did the string arrangement …
Second part of a sonic hop-skip-jump through the 1970s for Symphonic Monday:
Philip Glass, "Mad Rush" 14:49 (1979)
Philip Glass playing live on the organ of the cathedral of St.John the Divine in New York City in 2016.
Monday, Monday, here again at Symphonic Monday for a sonic hop-skip-jump through the 1970s.
Astor Piazzolla, "Invierno Porteño" (1970)
Performed by Quinteto Astor Piazzolla (Astor Piazzolla Quintet) in Ravenna, Italy, 15 July 2021
bandoneón: Pablo Mainetti
violin: Serdar Geldymuradov
guitar: Armando De La Vega
double bass: Daniel Falasca
piano: Barbara Varassi Pega
Symphonic Monday: "Is symphonic music dead?" and "Is classical music dead?"
No. Both are simply moving away from well-established forms. The third of three contemporary composers –
Donald Joseph Sparr, Jr. (D. J. Sparr) (b. 1975), "Meta444", 7:44 (2016)
Performed by D. J. Sparr on electronics, Brianna Matzke on piano, and Hajnal Kármán Pivnick on violin.
On Symphonic Monday, "Is symphonic music dead?" and "Is classical music dead?"
No. Both are simply moving away from well-established forms. The second of three contemporary composers –
Jörg Widmann (b. 1973), "Armonica", 16:14 (2006)
Performed by WDR Symphony Orchestra with Christa Schönfeldinger on glass harmonica, Jörg Widmann conducting, in 2021.
Symphonic Monday.
"Is symphonic music dead?" and "Is classical music dead?"
No. Both are simply moving away from well-established forms. The first of three examples from different contemporary composers –
Mehdi Hosseini (b. 1979), "Concerto For String Quartet And Chamber Orchestra", 16:34 (2008)
Performed by Saint-Petersburg State Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Brad Cawyer conducting, in 2010.
Third on today's Symphonic Monday, a piece from the penultimate release from Ryuichi Sakamoto –
Ryucihi Sakamoto, "ZURE async - immersion 2023 mix" (2024)
The result of a collaboration between Shiro Takatani and audio engineer ZAK, and released on February 2, 2024. The original album, "async", was released in 2017.
Second up on the first Symphonic Monday of 2025, a bit of Manchester. Not really symphonic, but swimming in minimalist music. The band later complained that they were made to sound too much like Joy Division …
A Certain Ratio, "Flight" (1980; 12-inch version)
The 6th of January, 2025, means it's the first Symphonic Monday of the year.
Here's an oldie, featuring members of The Odessa Symphony – Odessa, Texas, that is.
Zager & Evans, "In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)" (1969)
Trivia: This was a one-take, one-hit wonder.
