Tundra by Moth Quartet

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢 [...] 𝘕𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴, 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱'𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘤𝘺, 𝘤𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢.

– Raf Hosking, Five Lines

Tundra is the second studio album of Aotearoa New Zealand's Moth Quartet, comprised of composer-performers Tristan Carter (violin), Salina Fisher (violin), Elliot Vaughan (viola), and Nicholas Denton Protsack (violoncello). True to its namesake, it is a meditation in contrasts; vast, expansive, and gradually shifting harmonies pervade the work—yet contained within these textures are delicate and complex timbres, creaks and ethereal sweeps of bow hair. This sound-world invoking both expansive topographies and intricate botanical microcosms, treats tundra not as an object of musical depiction, but as a living environment that each member of the quartet must collectively navigate through sensitive and deliberate applications of free improvisation.

Moth Quartet, formed in 2023, is a quartet of composer-performers dedicated to exploring and reimagining the identity of the contemporary string quartet, comprising Tristan Carter (violin), Salina Fisher (violin), Elliot Vaughan (viola), and Nicholas Denton Protsack (cello). Each has a unique, vital solo practice, and the collective is an indispensable force in Aotearoa's musical landscape.