Name: Canto Ostinato
Brand: Erik Hall

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

WV248LP

Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2023-02-24

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Cargo

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

843563155578

Total Cap

Black LP

Artist

Erik Hall

Genre GB

Modern Composition

Label GB

Western Vinyl

Western Vinyl is a music label based in Austin, Texas. Founded in 1998 by Brian Sampson, the label has established itself as a prominent force in the music industry. With a diverse roster of talented artists and performers, Western Vinyl offers a wide range of musical genres and styles to its listeners.

Known for their commitment to quality and innovation, Western Vinyl strives to bring unique and groundbreaking music to the forefront. The label's dedication to nurturing talent and supporting artistic vision has earned them a reputation as an influential player in the independent music scene.

Whether you're a fan of *indie rock*, *experimental electronic*, or *ambient soundscapes*, Western Vinyl has something for everyone. Explore their catalog and discover new sounds that will captivate your ears and expand your musical horizons.

In the fall of 2021, Simeon ten Holt's "Canto Ostinato" was reborn in a 'solo version for seven keyboards'. During the weeks leading up to the birth of his son Lark, Erik Hall moved methodically among the instruments in his recording studio, conducting a multi-track conversation with himself and the piece's score. Ten Holt composed "Canto Ostinato" between 1976 and 1979. The rhythmic motif (ostinato) repeated over its entire length has a limited number of printed notes. It is up to the performers how to play them, for how long, where to place accents, etc. In the score, the composer calls on musicians to interact and evaluate, to fuse sounds and colours into one cohesive musical universe. Then a cosmos is created. You can get lost in that. You want to get lost in that, like in the original live recording with four pianos. 

"That performance is deeply compelling, almost otherworldly," says Hall. He has always been drawn to music that is based on repetition, harmonically rich, and tonal. He previously added a groundbreaking dimension to Steve Reich's 1976 minimal masterpiece Music for 18 Musicians, and – as again now with 'Canto' – his motivation is the love of the music itself. "When I first heard the piece, I was captivated." Then the plan emerged to undergo the same focused practice as before. He stacked seven total layers of his 1962 Hammond M-101 organ, a 1910 Steinway grand piano, and a 1978 Rhodes electric piano, each performance informed by those that preceded it. Erik Hall's "Canto Ostinato" lasts for one hour, and from the sheer joy of playing this wondrous composition emerges an elegantly meandering journey. In it, music rises above itself, higher and higher, like a lark jubilating freedom in the sky.

“Shrewd... prismatic... organic...Makes a minimalist standard freshly thrilling to revisit.” - PITCHFORK&nbsp;

“Erik Hall...has made something thrilling and beautiful out of parts so complicated... I think Mr. Reich will approve.” - POP MATTERS&nbsp;

Canto Ostinato

Music GB