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Schulich Release Radar: January — May 2021

Releases from our talented community to add to your playlists

Lots of music on offer, with albums spanning multiple genres. Explore the diversity and intersectionality of our Schulich community through music. Scroll down to read more!

Lavender People – Dolly Blonde 
Released January 4, 2021 

Album Cover for Lavender People: Dolly BlondeLavender People is a journey down the Tower Arcana in processing trauma and guilt through music. The Tower Arcana, an iconic tarot card, represents crisis, adversity and revelation. Dolly Blonde dives headfirst into the destruction of the Tower Arcana — whether it be pop, disco, or jazz-hybrid, each song is a confession and absolution. With the help of some amazing featured artists including fellow Schulich alumni é۴dzDz(ѳܲ’18),Edwin de Goeij (BMus’19) and Conor Nickerson (BMus’19), Dolly Blonde sings of how community often raises us up, even in our darkest days. Lavender People was also funded by  , for which Dolly Blonde (Charles Lowe, BMus’21) was selected in 2020. 


Visions – 𲹲-Ѿʾ 
Released March 5, 2021  

Album Cover for Visions by Jean-Michel Pilc

Working in the liminal space between imagination and reality, Schulich Professor 𲹲-Ѿʾ creates an unforgettably beautiful and nuanced atmosphere with his solo piano improvisations on Visions. "Music, to me, is as much about seeing and telling a story as it is about hearing sound. It relates to all senses in a way that is quite mysterious and unique,” shares Pilc. “The word ‘Visions’ embodies, better than any other, what I feel while creating a piece of music in the moment. Improvisation becomes an out of body experience, and you are projected into a different realm altogether. You see everything for the first time, and you will never see it again the same way." Let this Jazz EP transport you.


Imaginary Landscape – Stefan Hussong 
Released March 17, 2021   

Album Cover for Imaginary Landscape

German accordionist Stefan Hussong displays his mastery of contemporary works on his latest album. Out of several commissioned pieces, two are written by ۲ݮƵ alumni and husband-and-wife composing duo Hope Lee (MMus’81) and David Eagle (MMus’81). Lee’s work, "Imaginary Garden V" (2016), explores contrast through seven distinct scenarios illustrating her mastery of stylistic diversity. Eagle’s captivating "Refracted Tones" (2016) employs a hallucinatory 24-tone octave that bends and warps the ears in his beautiful composition. Both pieces are sure to enthrall. 


Intimate Impressions – Analekta 
Released March 26, 2021 

Album Cover for Intimate Impressions for two guitars

A powerhouse duo composed of Steve Cowan (DMus'19), guitar instructor at Schulich, and 岹侱󾱱ٳپ (BMus'10), current doctoral student at Schulich, they use their impressive talents on classical guitar to transpose some of the greatest works of the 20th Century including pieces by Debussy, Ravel, Jolivet, Mompou and Tailleferre. Exploring the stylistic differences of every composer as well as infusing the recording with their charm and lyricism, Intimate Impressions creates exactly what the title promises — an intimate listening experience that sounds — and feels — fantastic. 


Catharsis – Geneviève Salamone 
Released May 28, 2021  

Album Cover for Catharsis_Geneviève SalamoneStemming from her journey in confronting PTSD after 15 years of childhood sexual abuse, Geneviève Salamone’s (BMus’15) debut original album, Catharsis, features powerful violin and synth instrumentals as well as work from Schulich alum Renee Brechtel (BMus’16). Each piece of music reflects a different emotion or memory experienced along her trauma-recovery journey, creating a breathtaking tapestry of resilience, hope, and perseverance in the era of #metoo and #MMIW. 


That’s all for our Release Radar! Don’t forget — if you’re part of the Schulich community and are looking forward to a July, August, or September, let us know to be featured in upcoming months' Release Radars! Email us at publicity.music [at] mcgill.ca

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