Nathan Davis: Discs

Composition Discography

The Bright and Hollow Sky (New Focus Recordings FCR 120)
Compositions by Nathan Davis, performed by the International Contemporary Ensemble

Like sweet bells jangled (2009)
Joshua Rubin - clarinet, Claire Chase - flute, Eric Lamb - piccolo, Nathan Davis - percussion
pneApnea (2007) Claire Chase, alto flute
The Mechanics of Escapement (2008) Phyllis Chen, toy piano and clock chimes
Dowser (2007) Joshua Rubin, bass clarinet
The Bright and Hollow Sky (2008) Eric Lamb - flutes and piccolo, Joshua Rubin - clarinets, Peter Evans- trumpets, Dan Lippel - guitar, Adam Sliwinski - percussion, Douglas Perkins - conductor

This cycle of beautiful new works for solo instruments and small combinations transforms space into an architecture of color, texture, rhythm and breath. Using microphones as microscopes, together with live processing, these works elucidate the characters of instruments and the fragile athleticism of playing them.

Memory Spaces (mytoeses music mm one) Music for percussion and electronics, performed by Nathan Davis Diving Bell - Nathan Davis Crawlspace - Nathan Davis Six Japanese Gardens - Kaija Saariaho Talking to Vasudeva - Nathan Davis There are certain physical spaces from my memory that reappear in dreams: spaces which, in waking, hold specific associations of time and place but in sleep become a stage for new growth and exploration. Like a mnemonic "memory palace", each space has its consistent elements and a structure through which I move freely. This process of exploring and re-exploring familiar places is more consciously echoed in my work with acoustic materials and electronics. I use microphones and simple computer processing to magnify the subtle complexities of sounds and to reveal the inherent characters of ordinary objects and instruments. My works on this disc stem from the conscious and subconscious aspects of this process, and they share with Kaija Saariaho's piece an architectural intent to create a spatial environment for the listener's imagination. - Nathan Davis
Non Sequitur (Karnatic Lab Records klr 005) Plekto - Iannis Xenakis Synesthesia 2 - Cléo Palacio-Quintin Michael - Gabriel Bolkosky Dérive - Pierre Boulez Philip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread - David Ives Tusk - Ned McGowan Counterfeit Curio - Dan Trueman Hailed as "utterly sensational" (New Music Connoisseur), the ensemble Non Sequitur displays their unique vision of contemporary music on this debut cd, featuring dynamic performances of Modernist works by Xenakis and Boulez, electroacoustic music, a radio play about Philip Glass, and a piece inspired by Karnatic singing. Weaving together drama, humor, virtuosity, and visceral energy, Non Sequitur charts a course for the adventurous ear. - Karnatic Lab Records
Simple Songs - Douglas Perkins, Percussion (New Focus Recordings FCR 126) Simple Songs of Birth and Return - Nathan Davis Momentary Expanse - Tristan Perich Spatial Network for Percussion- Beau Sivers Unchained Melody - David Lang XY - Michael Gordon Doug Perkins’s “Simple Songs” on New Focus represents his solo debut recording, and is a wonderful document of the dynamism that exists in the constantly growing percussion repertoire. Praised as a “percussion virtuoso” by the New York Times, Doug has assembled a kaleidoscopic collection of works for solo percussion, focusing on the extremes of virtuosity on one hand and percussion music's penchant for the art of tinkering on the other. From the haunting meditation of vibraphone and one-bit music in Tristan Perich’s Momentary Expanse to the quirky noises of David Lang’s Unchained Melody, and ending with Michael Gordon’s monolithic XY, the range of the record is reflective of the vast scope of interests captivating the contemporary percussionist.
Aliento - Claire Chase - flute, with the International Contemporary Ensemble (New Focus Recordings FCR 126) pneApnea - Nathan Davis 16 - Jason Eckardt Poison Mushroom - Dai Fujikura Promoteo & Epimeteo - Edgar Guzman Aliento/Arrugas - Marcelo Toledo Run in a Graveyard - Du Yun Aliento carves out a vast range of expressivitiy within a dramatically new context of sound on the flute. The recording features several works written for Claire Chase by Nathan Davis, Du Yun, Marcelo Toledo, and Edgar Guzman, as well as definitive premiere recordings of Jason Eckhardt's 16 for flute and string trio and Dai Fujikura's Poison Mushroom for flute and electronics.
Travel Diary – Meehan/Perkins Duo (Bridge Records) Observations - Tristan Perich Diving Bell - Nathan Davis Table of Contents - David Lang Travel Diary - Paul Lansky Since its founding in 2006, the Meehan/Perkins Duo (Todd Meehan and Doug Perkins) has redefined the American percussion duo through its diverse commissions and engaging performances. Dedicated to creating a new body of work for the percussion duo genre, the Duo has collaborated with composers David Lang, Paul Lansky, Nathan Davis, Matt McBane, Jonathan Leshnoff, and John Supko to expand the repertoire and produce eclectic new acoustic and electro-acoustic works for percussion. This disc presents premiere recordings of works composer for the Meehan/Perkins Duo.