It is my great pleasure to recommend to you the debut album by classical guitar duo Derelict Hands, "Eyes to the Future", which was released 12-23-16. Derelict Hands is Calum Borthwick and Russ Callison, both musicians of a very high caliber. As some of you may be aware, Russ and I started our guitar studies at about the same time, both studying under Sabine Madriguera at Collin College. Back in the day we wrote a bunch of music together, made a really fun single with another of our friends, and played in a metal band called "The Mourning Report". lol. Back to the album.
The playing is incredibly polished throughout, and the production by William Johnston (as well as his video of the duo's performance of the Schoenberg) is some of the best I have ever heard in a classical guitar recording. The album opens with three duets by Philip Houghton, which are followed by the "earliest" pieces on the record, the "Sechs kleine Klavierstücke" by Arnold Schoenberg, which have been masterfully arranged for two guitars by Calum. The duo worked with Frank Wallace on his Duo Sonata, and their performance of that work is wonderful. The Protase de Loin a Rein by Akira Miyoshi is probably my favorite piece on the album at the moment. The Bogdanovic Sonata Fantasia makes a great closing work, keeping the intensity up all the way to the very last note.
Perhaps one of the most difficult challenges performers face is the program: it is not simply a matter of playing one piece after the other. It is not enough to order a program, as so many do, with the earliest music at the front and the latest at the back. It is a matter of knowing which piece needs to be heard at what time in the context of the overall listening experience in order to create something greater than the sum of its pieces. It's about meeting the listener where they are and taking them down a very specific path. Crafting a program really is an art in itself, and Eyes to the Future's program hits that admittedly high mark.
The album artwork was created by Elizabeth Hilliard, and it makes the usual classical album cover art look just as lazy as it is. Ms. Hilliard's artwork augments and elevates the album experience. I really hope to see more classical musicians take their cover art seriously and commission artists like Ms. Hilliard to create something new and beautiful rather than sticking with the sterile formula of a public domain painting + "museum card" artwork. Like the guys of Derelict Hands, I'm a guy that's been spoiled by the undeniably great artwork of the non-classical albums I know and love, like King Crimson's "In the Court of the Crimson King", Protest the Hero's "Fortress", Storm Corrosion's self-titled, etc., etc., etc. The artwork is always an integral part of the experience, so there is absolutely no excuse for the ugly, boring album covers we have seen out of the vast majority of classical musicians. This music is really exciting stuff; the artwork ought to be as well.
You can get your copy of "Eyes to the Future" at Derelict Hands' webstore in digital ($10) or physical formats ($15). I already got up on this soapbox a little bit, but you should definitely get the physical copy so you can enjoy the artwork along with the performance. So stop by Derelict Hands' site, get yourself a copy, and keep an eye on these guys!
The playing is incredibly polished throughout, and the production by William Johnston (as well as his video of the duo's performance of the Schoenberg) is some of the best I have ever heard in a classical guitar recording. The album opens with three duets by Philip Houghton, which are followed by the "earliest" pieces on the record, the "Sechs kleine Klavierstücke" by Arnold Schoenberg, which have been masterfully arranged for two guitars by Calum. The duo worked with Frank Wallace on his Duo Sonata, and their performance of that work is wonderful. The Protase de Loin a Rein by Akira Miyoshi is probably my favorite piece on the album at the moment. The Bogdanovic Sonata Fantasia makes a great closing work, keeping the intensity up all the way to the very last note.
Perhaps one of the most difficult challenges performers face is the program: it is not simply a matter of playing one piece after the other. It is not enough to order a program, as so many do, with the earliest music at the front and the latest at the back. It is a matter of knowing which piece needs to be heard at what time in the context of the overall listening experience in order to create something greater than the sum of its pieces. It's about meeting the listener where they are and taking them down a very specific path. Crafting a program really is an art in itself, and Eyes to the Future's program hits that admittedly high mark.
The album artwork was created by Elizabeth Hilliard, and it makes the usual classical album cover art look just as lazy as it is. Ms. Hilliard's artwork augments and elevates the album experience. I really hope to see more classical musicians take their cover art seriously and commission artists like Ms. Hilliard to create something new and beautiful rather than sticking with the sterile formula of a public domain painting + "museum card" artwork. Like the guys of Derelict Hands, I'm a guy that's been spoiled by the undeniably great artwork of the non-classical albums I know and love, like King Crimson's "In the Court of the Crimson King", Protest the Hero's "Fortress", Storm Corrosion's self-titled, etc., etc., etc. The artwork is always an integral part of the experience, so there is absolutely no excuse for the ugly, boring album covers we have seen out of the vast majority of classical musicians. This music is really exciting stuff; the artwork ought to be as well.
You can get your copy of "Eyes to the Future" at Derelict Hands' webstore in digital ($10) or physical formats ($15). I already got up on this soapbox a little bit, but you should definitely get the physical copy so you can enjoy the artwork along with the performance. So stop by Derelict Hands' site, get yourself a copy, and keep an eye on these guys!