Ekmeles: Exploring Sonic Frontiers in 'We Live the Opposite Daring'

The innovative chamber choir Ekmeles, composed of a mere six voices, embarks on an auditory voyage with their second offering, demonstrating mastery of microtones and non-traditional tunings in the opening piece Primo Libre by composer James Weeks.

Embracing a Richer Sonic Palette

'Why settle for 12 tones when you can have 31?' seems to be the mantra behind the 17-minute centerpiece of the album, a collection of 16 modern 'madrigals' employing the rarely heard 31-division equal temperament (31-ET), a microtonal tuning system that expands the traditional octave. Listeners are introduced to exotic chords and intervals, such as the neutral triad—a chord residing somewhere between major and minor—that offer a fresh aural experience unfamiliar to ears accustomed to standard tunings.

Reimagining vocal performance, Ekmeles not only sings in alternative tunings but executes them with precision. The ensemble's name itself, derived from ancient Greek music theory, refers to indefinite pitches and complex intervals usually deemed unsuitable for music—yet, Ekmeles navigates these with skill, bringing an otherworldly dimension to familiar 16th-century Italian texts.

Beyond the Madrigals

The album's title track by Zosha Di Castri weaves Sappho's ancient poetry through an audacious sound landscape filled with body percussion and vocal effects, leading listeners through a bizarre odyssey from the past to a daunting future. Meanwhile, the track 'this is but an oration of loss' by Hannah Kendall combines lamentations and spoken word to address historical atrocities with a haunting, powerful soundscape.

With 'love is,' Shawn Jaeger showcases Ekmeles' adeptness at microtonal harmonies peppered with whimsical spoken elements, and the album concludes with two studio pieces. Jeffrey Gavett's 'Waves,' inspired by an art installation, presents a vocal tapestry of introspection and darkness, while Erin Gee's 'Mouthpiece 36' features diverse vocal stylings from scatting to harmonizing.

Overall, 'We Live the Opposite Daring' acts as both archivist of newer experimental vocal traditions and pathfinder for future explorations. The album is scheduled for release on New Focus Recordings and will be featured in Ekmeles' upcoming New York City concerts, highlighting the group's talent in bridging historical repertoire with contemporary innovation.

experimental, microtones, vocal