Getting Through 2020
Andrew’s selection of music & films watched and listened to this year
Music
Thomas Ades — O Albion
This is from Thomas Ades’ first string quartet written in 1994. I think it expresses our current moment beautifully.
Albanie Polyphones Vocales Et Instrumentales
This recording was made in 1988, and opened my ears to harmonies and intonation I’d never heard quite like this before- sadly I don’t think they did vinyl for this one, but you can get a CD on Discogs.
Louis Andriessen — Symfony For Open Strings
I heard this over the summer, and it blew my mind — imposing limitation can make the very best music.
Ryan Ferreira — 71519 • 71619 2020
Lovely electric guitar work from this Brooklyn artist. Beautifully and thoughtfully put together.
John Metcalfe — Kite
John did a beautiful remix of Radar from Everyone Was A Bird, and this piece, from 2015, has been a regular companion this year
Films
After Life — Hirokazu Koreeda (1998)
For me this is a perfect film for this time of year, and a powerful and beautiful response to Frank Capra’s Christmas classic ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’.
The Vast Of Night (Andrew Patterson 2020)
Virtually self-funded, this is a gripping, period but deeply modern, brilliant debut feature
El Sur — Victor Erice (Spain 1983)
Apparently Victor Erice filmed half this film, stopped to edit, and never filmed the other half. But I think it’s perfect as it is — here’s the trailer:
I hope you enjoy these — and here’s to better times in 2021!
AP
