Michael Begg - Moonlight And Sentiment (CD)

Release Date: 11/04/22

Dark ambient music by British composer Michael Begg who has recently collaborated with Hans-Joachim Roedelius

Michael Begg is an award winning Scottish composer, sound artist, and musician. In 2000, he began the Human Greed project with Deryk Thomas, releasing a string of critically acclaimed albums, including Black Hill, Fortress Longing and World Fair. Since 2007, he has been a core contributor to Clodagh Simonds's cult collective, Fovea Hex. He is an associate artist at The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, and artist in residence with the European Marine Board. Begg has released a number of recordings in his own name, working more progressively towards a territory comprising site specific thematic exploration, contemporary classical music, software development and studio experimenting. In 2018 he won the New Music Scotland award for TITAN, a Cryptic commission for Sonica Festival. Shortly thereafter he founded the Black Glass Ensemble to develop new forms of music for the anthropocene, informed by scientific collaboration and data sonification. The Ensemble comprises fellow traveller in the UK underground, Ben Ponton (:soviet:france:), and players from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. His recent output includes a collaborative CD with Krautrock legend Hans-Joachim Roedelius which is still available from Klanggalerie. This is what Michael says about Moonlight and Sentiment: 'This music does not create a song for our ears. It is a 'state', such as moonlight poured over the fields.' Leonard Huizinga .This is not a crafted record. The quality is often very poor and the resolution is seldom realised. The melodic lines drift into sentimentality and the production lacks focus and rigour. It is, however, the authentic sound of moonlight suicides, Christmas midnights and a representation of a certain kind of recovered memory that ruins your sleep. I was in the midst of upheaval and I was trying to realise something. Whatever the 'something' was refused to play, and so something else has been realised instead.'