Kyle Motl - Hydra Nightingale (2022) [Hi-Res]

Hydra Nightingale features premiere recordings of recent solo contrabass works by Caroline Louise Miller, Jessie Cox, Anqi Liu, and Asher Tobin Chodos, performed by Kyle Motl. These compositions push the boundaries of the bass, exploring multiphonics, prepared strings, and spectral textures.

Miller’s Hydra Nightingale combines melody and rattling string noise, evoking a living organism. Liu’s Light Beams Through Dusts employs spectral harmonics and grinding multiphonics. Cox’s Nachklang brings fragile, glistening tones through whispering pressure techniques. Motl’s Phosphene creates a hallucinatory polyphony of oscillating harmonics, while Chodos’ Trickle Town, the only piece with electronics, blends rhythmic loops with Ronald Reagan speeches.

Together, these works challenge traditional perceptions of the bass, defamiliarizing its lower register and reimagining its expressive range with innovation and playfulness.

Tracklist:
1-1. Kyle Motl - Hydra Nightingale (07:32)
1-2. Kyle Motl - Light Beams Through Dusts, Through a Mist of Moistures (14:16)
1-3. Kyle Motl - Phosphene (08:24)
1-4. Kyle Motl - Nachklang (07:00)
1-5. Kyle Motl - Trickle Town (07:29)