RELEASE DATE: 16 February 2024
MP3: £7.99 | FLAC: £8.99
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Trace is the latest album from composer Maya Verlaak. An experimental composer who consistently challenges conventions, Verlaak finds inspiration for new music in the unique context of each musical situation. The stimulus for each of the 6 pieces featured on Trace is her own meaningful relationship with each musician. Because of this deeply personal approach to the composition process every track on this album was recorded in each musician’s home, giving exclusive access to their personal space. This way of working opens up Verlaak’s compositional practice towards new methods, creative solutions and playfulness.

LISTED AS THE BEST CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL MUSIC ON BANDCAMP, FEBRUARY 2024

“Verlaak is always surprising … she gives the musicians all the space to add a personal touch.”

Luister

“Overwhelmingly intimate pieces where, in some cases, the performer sings wordless melodies alongside the minimal lines they play on their instruments, with computers injecting various unpredictable pitch choices or melodic shapes.”

Bandcamp Daily

“Each piece was written for the performers heard here, and the act of Verlaak travelling all over between Berlin and Penrith to record them playing her music at home alludes to a wider project in which the goal is not to make a point, but to find out what may be learned.”

Boring Like A Drill

Maya Verlaak (b.1990) is a Belgian composer. She describes her creative process as a ‘scrutinising compositional position’ in which the work is guided by the unique context of each piece. Sharing her creative process is important to her so she develops new notation systems to communicate her concepts. Her compositions are written in such a way that the performers have insight into the compositional process. The music is intended to create space for critical thought; space for the individual listeners and performers to scrutinise the work. Her music has been commissioned and performed by diverse ensembles worldwide including Ensemble Klang (NL), Ensemble Modern (DE), Apartment House (UK), Ensemble Interface (DE), LCollective (USA), a•pe•ri•od•ic (USA) amongst others. Her music appears on NMC, BRC and Another Timbre.

Click here to read more about the processes behind the album