Recreation by Manchester Collective

‘Recreation’ is the debut EP from Manchester Collective, an ensemble fast establishing themselves as one of the most vital and compelling voices in British new music.
 
The record spans music written over 280 years – from sacred chorales by Bach through to new material by Paul Clark. Works by Ligeti and Vivaldi are brought together, painted onto the same canvas in brutal, vivid colour. There is joy to be found in these connections. It’s a record about change and transformation. We set out to create something full of life, but also dark and mysterious; like being in a forest where light and shade alternate. 
 
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The record starts with a ‘Prologue’ – a first foray into the varied sound worlds to come. We open with a manipulated, produced performance of a Bach chorale, ‘Du großer Schmerzensmann’, sung by the string players of the Collective. Bach’s original score is disrupted by a range of electronic sounds and textures, and as the music draws closer and closer, it eventually melts into material from Vivaldi’s petrified ‘L’inverno’ (Winter) concerto via a passage of new music by Paul Clark.
 
In ‘First Day of Summer’, we hear the sensual and woozy material of Vivaldi’s ‘L’estate’ from the Four Seasons. A languorous, pleasurable opening is quickly overtaken by violence and activity, building to a furious conclusion that catapults the listener into the next track, ‘Métamorphoses Nocturnes: First Vignette’. This passage is an excerpt from György Ligeti’s String Quartet No. 1 – one of two sections from this work, separated by a bridging passage by Paul Clark. Ligeti’s music takes all the dark energy of Vivaldi’s most powerful material and doubles down on the sharp angles, puncturing pizzicati, and fragile solo lines, eventually culminating in a raging climax.
 
We come full circle with ‘Last Day of Summer’, a return to Vivaldi’s ‘L’estate’ concerto. This movement is feverish and frenzied; hyper-close microphone placement and unconventional production from Brendan Williams and Valgeir Sigurðsson has created a raw, intimate, electrifying sound. The record concludes with a flurry of fast notes, followed by the powerful gut punch of a final, unison G.
 
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‘Recreation’ is a mixtape. It’s picking up something warm, soft and familiar, and pricking your finger. There is real jeopardy in the playing, which is perpetually close to the edge of what is possible in sound and in colour. It’s dangerous music making, and we hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it.

Radical human experiences. Known for their experimental programming and daring collaborations, Manchester Collective bring a combination of cutting edge contemporary music and classical masterpieces to a hungry, new audience.

"THE FUTURE HAS ARRIVED"
Bachtrack

"BRILLIANT"
The Observer

manchestercollective.co.uk
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