The Composers' Syndicate Sampler
This CD was put out independently by a group of Minnesota composers who called themselves the "Composers' Syndicate". It contain's a recording of Mike Olson's composition, Song of the Badger; a high-energy, somewhat cartoony piece of music that marked a turning point in Mike's compositional life. With this piece, he turned his back on self-conscious formalism in favor of a high through-composed style of writing. The piece is entirely scored out and is realized in this recording as a largely electronic piece of music, though it was originally composed for all acoustic instruments. The piece is humorous, complex and strikes an interesting balance of being at once clearly unified, while at the same time reflecting a range of musical style. Fun listening.