Taddie/ Ibrahim/ Jamieson - Fancy Colors

David Taddie's new album Fancy Colors blurs the spectrum between acoustic and electronic music into an unorthodox wave of sound. In contrast to the primary characteristics of each type of music, Taddie creates sophisticated, complex compositions by blending the sounds of string and woodwind instruments with the influence of computer-generated effects. Written and recorded over two decades, Fancy Colors is the result of Taddie's exploration of timbre and space using the electronic medium. The eight tracks on the album expand the boundaries of the otherwise conventional sounds of instruments like the flute and piano to a grandiose level. The album's debut track "Wayward Country" fuses together alto and bass saxophone samples as well as interactive electronics to process the sound in real-time to create a spontaneous, improvised sense of time and space. The composer's arrangements evoke many emotions, mostly notably the little dramas and anticipations that get the listeners heart racing. Like the emotional "A Rift in Time," the composition builds tension quickly, only to release it slowly through tender melody through the string section. "Triptych," which runs over 13 minutes long, builds patiently. The composition buzzes and twinkles with gongs, bells, and anklets, the whispered vocals reciting poetry adding to the production. Fancy Colors shows the listener just how far the sound of an instrument can really go when manipulated by electronics. The album offers an expansive palette for listeners who enjoy a little more depth to their art.