Search - Pamela Z :: A Delay Is Better

This is the first CD devoted exclusively to works by the "funny, inventive, and talented" (Village Voice) composer/performer Pamela Z. The CD, which offers some of her most widely enjoyed signature pieces, is "an impressive survey of Z's imaginative compositions," states Pauline Oliveros. The San Francisco Chronicle enthusiastically notes that "Z creates lustrous sonic landscapes." The essence of Z's mesmerizing music is a skillful blending of her lovely voice with refined electronic manipulations. Oliveros finds that "this CD beguiles us with a rich introduction to a fine vocalist/composer who adeptly embraces technology" and who "invigoratingly explores" a wide variety of materials. Some of the CD's dozen pieces draw on everyday sounds. For example, the percussion loops in Bone Music are built up from the performer pounding an empty five-gallon water bottle, while the pieces The MUNI Section and NEMIZ use sampled San Francisco street sounds. The witty Geekspeak manipulates recordings of computer engineers providing us with the definitive word on the differences between nerds and geeks. Other pieces use found text, such as Pop Titles 'You' (based on titles of popular songs), while some pieces use only Z's voice, such as Badagada and Number 3. Z has toured extensively around the world, and she has composed commissioned works for such new music ensembles as the Bang on a Can All Stars, the California E.A.R. Unit, and St. Luke's Chamber Orchestra.