The latest edition to Sound of Life’s “Behind the Songs” series features the incredible European contemporary orchestral collective s t a r g a z e.

This musical collective was founded in Berlin and Amsterdam, and helmed by Merle Scheske, Emanuel Florakis and conductor André De Ridder, who has worked with Damon Albarn, Max Richter, These New Puritans, Mouse On Mars and Efterklang.

On s t a r g a z e’s 2022 album One, the project is led by Tyondai Braxton (Battles), Nik Colk Void (Factory Floor/Carter Tutti Void), Greg Saunier (Deerhoof), Arone Dyer (Buke And Gase) and Aart Strootman (s t a r g a z e).

Collectively, they have worked with an incredible roster of artistes, namely Terry Riley, Steve Reich, John Cale, Bill Frisell, Nils Frahm, Julia Holter, Matthew Herbert, Soap&Skin, Iceage and Anna Calvi, and performed works by Mica Levi, Boards Of Canada, Bryce Dessner, Fugazi and Dirty Projectors’ David Longstreth, and also performed for Boiler Room.

One is a remotely recorded orchestral suite, which blends the classical and current production methods. A result from the solutions of Covid-related restrictions, this flexible scenario is a new concept to the classical world.

Let’s hear from each composer on this EP on their creative process and the idea behind each song that showcases alternative sounds to what we know about the orchestra.

GREG SAUNIER – ‘METAPHOR’

Andre asked for something slow that could be recorded remotely at home by each s t a r g a z e member. Writing slow music was really fun. I sent each player their part. They had no idea what the other parts sounded like.

I had Andre videotape himself conducting the piece. Each person sat at home in isolation and played their part along with the video. I mixed them all together. It sounded like s t a r g a z e played the piece together.

Everyone was surprised by the result.

ARONE DYER – ‘VOICECREAM’

“Voicecream” was such a foreign process to create. I typically write real time, improvising with others, but this piece I wrote alone on Ableton, mostly with my vocals and midi, creating what I thought sounded like a realistic arrangement.

Then, knowing nothing of the range or key of orchestral instruments, I worked with trumpet and horn player Romain Bly to arrange the piece for s t a r g a z e, and we sent individual parts along with a click track to each of the performers to record on their own.

Without a conductor, some interesting twists and turns came about which I had to correct in post- production once I'd received all the recorded parts, and I tried to make the instruments sound like they were coming from the same place. Andi Toma brought it to the final mix, during which I realised I was asking him to do things that weren't necessarily in his wheelhouse like "make the kick swing", which I should have finished beforehand.

Ha! Alas, I think it turned out great, I learned so much in the process and it was really fun to work with everyone on this project!

TYONDAI BRAXTON – ‘VACANCY’

“Vacancy” is a piece for chamber orchestra and electronics. The piece is composed of small defined phrases each bookended by silence, like a curtain opening to reveal some kind of picture and then closing, over and over again.

In resetting the momentum and creating definition this way, it allows you to hear each idea against the previous one in a series of contextual shifts.

There is no concept of resolution or hierarchy of importance in each idea, so intuition and a sense of placement was what I trusted in composing the piece.

NIK COLK VOID – ‘RECOLLECTION PULSE #3’

“Recollection Pulse #3” (part three of a four-piece composition) became fully realised when the two groups – myself and André De Ridder with the orchestra collective s t a r g a z e – gathered at a rehearsal space in East London back in 2017 in preparation for the Spitalfields Music Festival.

Working alongside this collective of classically trained musicians brought me out of my comfort zone as a modular synth artiste. I lean towards assertoric compositions built via the appreciation of chance happenings through improvisation.

So yes, a challenge and feeling blindfolded to the outcome, we began to naturally bend our known rules and experience a crossing which was far more reliant on emotion rather than direction.

AART STROOTMAN – ‘DESCEND’

“Descend” was written for a large open ensemble in 2019. It was one of the scores I shared with s t a r g a z e cellist Alistair Sung when he contacted me to collaborate for his new album.

He recorded many, many tracks but the piece wasn’t completed. In the spirit of the pandemic, I kept on multitracking with the ensemble and added scraping percussion, a clarinet choir and a subtle groove complemented the work.

The title of the work is self-explanatory, sit back and zone out.

Get behind more projects with Behind the Songs.

This feature of Behind The Songs was created with 9PR.

All Images: Reiner Pfisterer

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Writer | Kevin Yeoh

When he isn’t making sure Sound of Life stories are published in a timely manner, Kevin enjoys wandering aimlessly in Kuala Lumpur city, going down the YouTube rabbit hole and discovering new music.