New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Paris1919 (https://paris-1919.com/), a Minneapolis ensemble led by experimental Composer and Conductor Chris Strouth (https://chrisstrouth.com) have released their second album Antarctica, which is out now via the UltraModern label.
Antarctica was produced in 2014 as an installation and performance at Minneapolis's Public Functionary gallery (https://publicfunctionary.org/antarctica/) and performed inside of a giant plastic glacier alongside dancers and video projections, to create a completely immersive experience. The score features Electronics by Chris Strouth and a supergroup of Midwest avant-garde players. They including Michael Croswell (McKnight recipient, Ivey Award Winner, Metaphor) (Lap Steel), Randall Davidson (Garrison Keillor, Minnesota Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Nike and renowned composer in his own right) (Cello), Tim Ritter (Shapeshifter, Astronaut Wife, Bella Koshka) (Bass), Mykl Westbrooks (Landing Gear, Zen Identity) (Electric Guitar) and Eric White (Conservatoire
National Douta Seck).
"We have all felt that isolation, that moment of being in a place completely alone from the world, not necessarily in the physical sense, which is what the score for Antarctica embodies," said Paris1919 Architect and Conductor Chris Strouth. "It's that place where introspection can show just a little more than your ready for. This was my way of trying to blink into the void, and try and make some sense of it all. It's an abstract, but it's my thought that sometimes we need that abstract to get to the truth."
Antarctica is an album about isolation as well as the perseverance and tenacity of 1000 years of Antarctica's physical evolution as a metaphor about Strouth's kidney transplant in 2009. He was the first person to get a transplant via social media and Antarctica represents his time post-transplant, after all the news stories, wondering if he was looking into the void of isolation, and the void staring back.
Paris1919 next performance in the Twin Cities will be May 5th,6th,& 7th with a new theatrical piece called Grief with actor Charles Hubbel, at the Tek Box (https://www.thecowlescenter.org/visitor-building-info/stages/jsb-tekbox), as part of the Right Here Showcase (https://righthereshowcase.weebly.com).
