Judith Hamann

Shaking Studies is Judith Hamann's latest as a solo performer, and she uses this opportunity to examine the sonic possibilities of shaking. Channeling her body's rhythm in innovative ways, she expresses her own vibrations through the cello, allowing it to influence the shape of the sound completely. This is head melting stuff, music for anyone sick of the seemingly-endless drip drip of contemporary cello music that's about as gripping as a Hallmark card. There's no manipulative melancholy or awkward storytime cinema here, it's an exercise in sound and the body's impact on that sound.

Hamann's exploration of the cello is shockingly rigorous. She takes readings of the pulse of the cello, using them to shake against the strings, creating alien tones that create a backdrop for the entire listening experience. This isn't a record that can be classified easily - Hamann rejects the order of Western musical logic, instead searching for a sound than can only be described as fully human.

TRACKS:

• SIDE A
• A1. A Reading
• A2. Pulse Study - Part I

• SIDE B
• B1. Pulse Study - Part II
• B2. The Tender Interval