La Lechuza - ESMERINE by Constellation Records

Esmerine enters its second decade with an expanded line-up and a new album – the band's first in six years. As a duo co-founded ten years ago by percussionist Bruce Cawdron (Godspeed You! Black Emperor) and cellist Beckie Foon (Thee Silver Mt. Zion), Esmerine released two critically-acclaimed albums of modern chamber music in 2003 and 2005 that had one foot in the new music/experimental terrain of contemporaries like Rachel's or Town And Country and the other in a more visceral and lyrical landscape populated by the likes of Dirty Three (and GY!BE themselves).

Bruce and Beckie have continued stoking the embers of Esmerine, with occasional special events in their Montreal home town over the past few years, often including invitations to guest musicians. While Esmerine had made deft use of guest players on previous records, their performances over the past two years opened the band up to two new musicians in particular who were invited to join as full members: harp-player Sarah Page (The Barr Brothers) and percussionist Andrew Barr (The Slip, Land of Talk, The Barr Brothers).

La Lechuza documents the evolution of Esmerine under the influence of this expanded membership, and through the lens of a shared trajectory marked by a tragic loss. All four players were brought together through their mutual friendships with Lhasa de Sela, a beloved and internationally-renowned Montreal-based singer. Sarah and Andrew were already part of Lhasa's working band; Beckie and Bruce had been asked to join Lhasa and her band on a planned tour. Lhasa was diagnosed with breast cancer during the making of her album; she was able to complete it, but touring plans were suspended as Lhasa's health deteriorated. Lhasa died on New Year's Day 2010 at the age of 37.

La Lechuza is dedicated to Lhasa de Sela and includes music that emerged in the weeks and months following Lhasa's death. While Esmerine has always forged instrumental songs of high em.......
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Formacja Esmerine została założona dziesięć lat temu przez perkusistę Bruce'a Cawdron'a (Godpseed You! Black Emperor) i wiolonczelistkę Rebeccę Foon (Thee Silver Mt. Zion) wkrótce po tym jak duet ten spotkał się podczas nagrywania pierwszego albumu Set Fire To Flames 'Sings Rebuilder Reign' (2001). Od tego czasu Esmerine wydali dwa bardzo dobrze przyjęte albumy współczesnej muzyki kameralnej: 'If Only a Sweet Surrender to the Nights to Come Be True' (2003) and 'Aurora' (2005), lokujące się na przecięciu rejonów nowej/eksperymentalnej muzyki pokroju Rachel czy Town & Country oraz bardziej lirycznej estetyki zespołów Dirty Three czy Godpseed You! Black Emperor. Najnowsza płyta "La Lechuza" powstała w poszerzonym 4-osobowym składzie


Esmerine enters its second decade with an expanded line-up and a new album – the band's first in six years. As a duo co-founded ten years ago by percussionist Bruce Cawdron (Godspeed You! Black Emperor) and cellist Beckie Foon (Thee Silver Mt. Zion), Esmerine released two critically-acclaimed albums of modern chamber music in 2003 and 2005 that had one foot in the new music/experimental terrain of contemporaries like Rachel's or Town And Country and the other in a more visceral and lyrical landscape populated by the likes of Dirty Three (and GY!BE themselves).

Bruce and Beckie have continued stoking the embers of Esmerine, with occasional special events in their Montreal home town over the past few years, often including invitations to guest musicians. While Esmerine had made deft use of guest players on previous records, their performances over the past two years opened the band up to two new musicians in particular who were invited to join as full members: harp-player Sarah Page (The Barr Brothers) and percussionist Andrew Barr (The Slip, Land of Talk, The Barr Brothers).

La Lechuza documents the evolution of Esmerine under the influence of this expanded membership, and through th.......
more