So often, when I listen to Stephen Vitiello’s work, I end up spacing out and drifting off into my own head. It’s a compliment to the nature of his work, where expansive landscapes and intimate details combine in a unique, engaging manner. Over the weekend, I immersed myself in his 2021 piece with The Quiet Club, Black Iris. It represents so many aspects of Vitiello’s music that get me – alien sounds inviting us to reconsider long-held notions, liminal meditations on where microscopic passages lead to massive expression. And as a collaborative piece, it offers new contexts for his approach. Vitiello has released a ton of great music through the years, much of which is available through his Bandcamp.
His mix for Foxy Digitalis is a different kind of trip. Focusing on vocal-based pieces, Vitiello sequences these works in a narrative form, following twisting pathways and chance encounters. Of course, I must mention Sarah Hennies’ fantastic vocal mix from last year, but I love how Vitiello’s take on a similar approach offers something distinct and different. This mix is another one for the ages.
Tracklist:
00:00, Connie Beckley, “To Faust: A Footnote,” from Artsounds Collection
07:18, Jóhann Jóhannsson, “Kangaru,” from Arrival
10:04, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe & Ariel Kalma, “Strange Dreams,” from We Know Each Other Somehow
18:27, Philip Glass, “Knee Play 5” from “Einstein on the Beach”
23:56, Tanya Tagaq, “Toothsayer,” from Toothsayer ep
28:08, Laurie Anderson, “Time to Go (for Diego),” from New Music For Electronic And Recorded Media
30:55, Ursula Bogner, “Jubiläum,” from Sonne = Blackbox
33:31, Carl Stone, “Himalaya (with Akaihirume) [Single Edit],” from Himalaya
38:10, Meredith Monk, “Cow Song,” from Our Lady of Late
40:26, Ariel Kalma, “Dakini Voices,” from French Archives Vol ll
43:24, David Hykes and the Harmonic Choir, “Solstice Kyrie,” from Current Circulation
49:45, Steve Peters and Steve Roden, “Winds Through Bleak Timber,” from Not a Leaf Remains
60:51, Pamela Z, “Timepiece Triptych- Syrinx,” from A Secret Code
66:54, Stephen Vitiello, “A Bit of Voice,” from Stephen Vitiello, Soundtracks for Lynne Sachs (Volume 2)
69:26, Ana Roxane, “Nocturne,” from ~~~
74:50, John Cage, “Voiceless Essay (excerpt),” from Music for Merce
Foxy Digitalis depends on our awesome readers to keep things rolling. Pledge your support today via our Patreon.
