Renegade Heaven
CouldRenegade Heaven's opener--the furiously rhythmic composition "Believing"--be Bang on a Can's reminder to the public that, even after their recording of Brian Eno'sMusic for Airports, the ensemble hasn't totally settled for making background music? The nine-minute Julia Wolfe-penned piece begins with a rock & roll intensity that only increases as the work progresses. Arnold Dreyblatt's "Elevator" is equally riveting; fast-paced and jumping between soloists, it pulses with an energy not heard since Steve Reich'sDifferent Trains. The rest of the album--the weird electronics of Michael Gordon's "I Buried Paul," the shimmering power of Glenn Branca's "Movement Within," and Phil Kline's schizophrenic, contemplative "Exquisite Corpses"--reveals yet more facets to this New Music ensemble. Hard to complain about a disc filled with so much musical discovery, but liner notes explaining the backgrounds of the composers and the wonderful works being played would have been nice.--Jason Verlinde