New Golden Hornet collab project mines the sonic world of insects
By Richard Whittaker for The Austin Chronicle
#Insectum#JeffreyZeigler (photo credit: Alex Wild)
Graham Reynolds may be known as a musical genius, but his fascinations expand beyond his sonic endeavors. He takes joy in showing the barrier between the arts and sciences is as diaphanous as the wings of a dragonfly. His latest collaboration from the hive mind of his Golden Hornet project, Insectum, points a musical microscope into the realm of beetles, flies, bees, and butterflies.
The nine-track album receives its world-premiere live performance at Austin’s Draylen Mason Music Studios on Feb. 22 as part of KMFA’s Offbeat series. Reynolds and classical cellist Jeffrey Zeigler (formerly of the Kronos Quartet) had worked together before on a similar project with The Sound of Science. “As soon as that was done, we went, 'What are we going to do next?’” Reynolds recalled.
Inspiration came from the work of groundbreaking 17th-century German naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian, whose illustrations of insects formed an essential and beautiful archive for researchers. With a new subject for study, they encouraged Berlin-based experimental composer and percussionist Susie Ibarra to join their musical swarm. “All three [of us] equally on board as creators, collaborators, co-owners of the project,” Reynolds said, but each bringing a different background: Ziegler from the tradition of annotated scores; Ibarra being known as an improviser and experimentalist; “and me being a bit of both.”
Read Austin Chronicle article in full here
Listen to album here
Read more about Insectum here