Nicole Mitchell

• DIGIPACK EDITION

• 4 1/2 STARS ALL MUSIC GUIDE

"Mandorla Awakening II: Emerging Worlds" is a virtual musical universe. It was commissioned by the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art and recorded there during its world premiere in 2015, as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the AACM. This work is another wonderfully provocative entry in Mitchell's Afro-Futurist aesthetic. Here, boundaries between literature, philosophy and mysticism, politics and art, coexist in a multivalent dialogue. It also offers, unintentionally, a poignant reminder as to why the AACM's purpose remains vital.

PERSONNEL:

• NICOLE MITCHELL'S BLACK EARTH ENSEMBLE:
• Avery R Young, vocals
• Kojiro Umezaki, shakuhachi
• Nicole Mitchell, flute, electronics
• Renée Baker, violin
• Tomeka Reid, cello, banjo
• Alex Wing, electric guitar, oud
• Tatsu Aoki, bass, shamisen, taiko
• Jovia Armstrong, percussion

Live at Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago on May 2, 2015.

TRACKS:

• 01. Egoes War
• 02. Sub-mission
• 03. The Chalice
• 04. Dance of Many Hand
• 05. Listening Embrace
• 06. Forestwall Timewalk
• 07. Staircase Struggle
• 08. Shiny Divider
• 09. Mandorla Island
• 10. TimeWrap