Jonathan Kawchuk

The world of contemporary classical, cinematic, and electronic music continues to evolve, mutate, and transform. Spotify has a fascinating ‘music style’ listed under their “classical” genre, which they just call “crossover”. And I think this process of unfolding is inevitable and part of the evolution of all things, crossing over into each other, in space and in time, in art and in music. In the case of the Canadian composer and environmentalist Jonathan Kawchuk, this intersection is a place between the organic and the synthesized, somewhere on a spectrum of three-dimensional space of nature, where a human voice, pure sine waves, and field recordings from the Rocky Mountains (near Kananaskis, Alberta) overlap. In this marriage, Kawchuk explores the relationship between the voice and trees, stones, and streams, as well as all other living beings calling this mountainous region their home. The result is a juxtaposed montage of synthesized and found sounds, evoking tension, suspense and release, in a post-anxiety sonic environment. “Unrelenting pulsing, jagged entries, and tempo swings break momentarily only for a particle cloud seeded with harsh vocals.” Taken from his upcoming sophomore album, Everywhen, which will be out on June 10th via Paperbag Records, this track unquestionably benefits from the visual treatments in collaboration with Brad Necyk at Studio Everywhen, to deliver a startling video which will live [rent-free] in your mind for the many upcoming nights.