Wi Journal of Mobile Media. "Wi: journal of mobile media (pronounced wī) was founded in 2006 as in-house publication of the Mobile Digital Commons Network (MDCN) and has since operated under the aegis of the Mobile Media Lab. The Lab has two nodes, one in Montreal (www.mobilities.ca) and one in Toronto (www.mobilemedialab.ca).Wi is an open- access peer-reviewed experimental journal. The mandate of the journal is to create an interdisciplinary international dialogue for scholars to explore the “term” mobilities in all of its many manifestations, although the history of the journal indicates an emphasis on the connection of mobilities research to media studies, the media arts and communications. We are particularly interested in publishing works that use media (images, sounds, animations) as a major component of their articles, although this is not a requirement." Description from the webpage. wi.mobilities.ca
Sounding Out. "Sounding Out! is a weekly online publication, a networked academic archive, and a dynamic group platform bringing together sound studies scholars, sound artists and professionals, and readers interested in the cultural politics of sound and listening. Every Monday, our writers offer well-researched, well-written, and accessible interventions in sound studies, directing the field’s energy toward the social, cultural, and political aspects of sound and listening, particularly their differential construction of and material impacts on variously positioned bodies." Description from the webpage. http://soundstudiesblog.com/
Lisbon Sound Map "Lisbon Sound Map is a work in progress over five years, but with a public presentation of the first sound collections after six months. Taken from the fixed stations, the monitoring and recording of sonic territories will be done in studies, particularly those with classic sound marks and considered historical places (the Pombaline lower part of the city), those with changes in their acoustic space through erosion and urban renewal of the previous urban space (some historic districts), and finally, those who are in the process of radical change, either by the construction of buildings or through channels of communication (within the city limits or in areas where the Municipal Head of Planning allows construction)." Description from the webpage. lisbonsoundmap.wordpress.com
Some New Composers
Daniel Wohl (b. 1980), integrates elements of experimental electronica with acoustic instruments and multimedia. danielwohlmusic.com
Kate Moore (b. 1979). From her website: "She creates worlds of sound for acoustic and electroacoustic media and writes instrumental music, concert music, sound installations and more. Her interests lie in research with particular respect to the history and origin of music and musical instruments and the exploration of sonic architecture, acoustics and the physics and psychoacoustics of sound." katemoore.org Listen to the 2014 Cello Concerto.
Sleeping Giant. Sleeping Giant is a collective of six young American composers (clockwise: Timo Andres, Andrew Norman, Jacob Cooper, Christopher Cerrone, Robert Honstein, and Ted Hearne). These “talented guys” (The New Yorker), who are “rapidly gaining notice for their daring innovations, stylistic range and acute attention to instrumental nuance” (WQXR) have composed a diverse body of music that prizes vitality and diversity over a rigid aesthetic." sleepinggiantcomposers.com
Some New Ensembles, Labels, Festival, Venues
Yarn/Wire, "Yarn/Wire is a quartet of two percussionists and two pianists. This instrumental combination allows the ensemble flexibility to slip effortlessly between classics of the repertoire and modern works that continue to forge new boundaries. yarnwire.org
Jack Quartet, "Comprising violinists Christopher Otto and Ari Streisfeld, violist John Pickford Richards, and cellist Kevin McFarland, JACK is focused on new work, leading them to work closely with composers John Luther Adams, Chaya Czernowin, Simon Steen-Andersen, Caroline Shaw, Helmut Lachenmann, Steve Reich, Matthias Pintscher, and John Zorn. Upcoming and recent premieres include works by Derek Bermel, Cenk Ergün, Roger Reynolds, Toby Twining, and Georg Friedrich Haas." jackquartet.com
Eighth Blackbird "eighth blackbird’s “super-musicians” (Los Angeles Times) combine the finesse of a string quartet, the energy of a rock band, and the audacity of a storefront theater company. The Chicago-based, three-time GRAMMY Award-winning sextet has provoked and impressed audiences for 20 years across the country and around the world with impeccable precision and a signature style.“One of the smartest, most dynamic contemporary classical ensembles on the planet” (Chicago Tribune), eighth blackbird began in 1996 as a group of six entrepreneurial Oberlin Conservatory students and quickly became “a brand-name…defined by adventure, vibrancy and quality….known for performing from memory, employing choreography and collaborations with theater artists, lighting designers and even puppetry artists” (Detroit Free Press). Over the course of two decades, eighth blackbird has commissioned and premiered hundreds of works by dozens of composers including David T. Little, Steven Mackey, Missy Mazzoli, and Steve Reich, whose commissioned work, Double Sexteteighthblackbird.org
International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) "The International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), described by the New York Times as “one of the most accomplished and adventurous groups in new music,” is dedicated to reshaping the way music is created and experienced. With a modular makeup of 35 leading instrumentalists, performing in forces ranging from solos to large ensembles, ICE functions as performer, presenter, and educator, advancing the music of our time by developing innovative new works and new strategies for audience engagement. ICE redefines concert music as it brings together new work and new listeners in the 21st century.Since its founding in 2001, ICE has premiered over 500 compositions––the majority of these new works by emerging composers––in venues spanning from alternative spaces to concert halls around the world." iceorg.org
Additional Readings
Oxford Handbook of Sound Studies, eds. Trevor Pinch and Karin Bjisterveld (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012).