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Robert Laidlow is as much at home in science and technology as he is in the world of classical music. As this NMC debut album shows, his amazing, imaginative work is accessible, even if the main points are very difficult.
Warp, a 12-minute piano piece, offers a musical response to Einstein’s play as boldly Joseph Havlat goes where no pianist has gone before amidst the disturbing orchestral tempo. Strong orchestral lines spiral upward, stretching the instruments to their limits, while the piano continues to a quiet finale. Beautifully recorded, the BBC Philharmonic and Vimbayi Kaziboni provide detailed support.
The Piatti Quartet plays Gravity, an impassioned if slightly respectful tribute to Newton’s law that at one point plunges the players into music similar to a black hole.
Silicon, a mind-expanding triple movement of symphonic proportions, uses cheeky technology to consider the impact of AI on human creativity. On the first opener, Mind, Laidlow’s music challenges the machines that have been instructed to imitate their output. The body uses funny electronics to support diabolical deepfakes. Finally, Soul pits the BBC Philharmonic against its radio-trained AI algorithm, phantom announcers and all.
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