Search - Phil Kline :: Unsilent Night

Unsilent Night documents the seasonal sound sculpture project of New York City-based composer Phil Kline. A gathering of friends and fans, armed with boomboxes, goes "caroling" through the streets of New York by playing pre-recorded tapes. The results on this CD--partially recorded in the studio, partially in the streets--challenge any notion of "Christmas music." At times, Kline's work seems to consist mainly of minimalist pulses from bells (shades of Steve Reich and Terry Riley). Occasionally, there's a hint of an angelic, wordless choir, a fading reminder that this work is meant for the holidays. Studio mixing turns this collection of field recordings into something more seamless and polished, but you're left only imagining how beautiful this work must be when caught live, with a brigade of boomboxes passing by your stoop. Even on disc, it's a fascinating work. --Jason Verlinde