New album of Irish electronic and electro-acoustic music released

Irish-based record label Heresy Records have released a new album of electronic and electro-acoustic music by Irish musicians and composers. On the Nature of Electricity and Acoustics is the tenth release by the label, best known for its innovative approach to classical music releases with early music and alternative ensembles.

Curated by composer Daniel Figgis, the album  is designed to work as a cohesive album as well as a showcase compilation of the breadth of styles in Irish music. On the Nature of Electricity and Acoustics features music by composers such as Enda Bates, Linda Buckley, Roger Doyle, Alex Dowling, Donnacha Dennehy and the Daniel Figgis himself.

Eric Fraad, from Heresy Records writes about how the project came about:

Daniel and I met at the APAP convention in New York in 2010. We were both over- and underwhelmed by the conference and decided to repair to the Hilton bar for a transfusion. What transpired over the next months was a friendship and a search for a project we could work on together. The record company I founded, Heresy Records, had yet to release a recording of contemporary music which was always part of the plan for the label. I was intrigued that a country at the gateway of Europe whose musical identity was bound up with traditional music, rock and pop could also have a rich avant-garde contemporary music scene. Daniel’s activities as a composer of this genre of music and also as a curator convinced me that an anthology of Irish electronic music would be an ideal recording for Heresy. Within a short time Daniel came back with an extensive and impressive list of artists that spanned a generation so the project took on the aspect of telling a story, albeit a personal one, about the history of Irish electronic music. I was also fascinated by the prospect that this album could help promote Irish electronic music as one of Europe’s cutting edge music scenes.  So we sequenced the album to create a very specific listening experience and, while the historical aspect of it is interesting and unique, the central object was to create a compelling artistic and emotional journey for the listener that introduced them to a wide range of electronic music from Ireland but was in no way academic or desultory.

The CD is available from Amazon and the label's website, as well as CMC's shop and Tower Records in Dublin. A special edition iTunes-exclusive version of the album features an extra 12 tracks, with music from Anna Murray, Irene Buckley, Liam O'Callaghan and Peadar Ó'Riada. A launch featuring performances from Roger Doyle, Enda Bates, Vincent Doherty and The Jimmy Cake, took place at Dublin's Tower Records at 7pm on Thursday 4 April.

Visit Heresy Record's website for more information and to order the CD, or buy the iTunes version here.

Listen to a recording of Donnacha Dennehy's Misterman, as featured on the album.

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