MAX RICHTER - INFRA (LP)

Max Richter Infra on Vinyl LP + MP3 Download

Originally conceived as a Royal Ballet-commissioned collaboration between composer Max Richter, choreographer Wayne McGregor and artist Julian Opie,Richter’s gorgeous score to Infra is deservedly given life of its own in this album length release. The initial setting for Infra was as a ballet, written in autumn 2008 and premiered in November of the same year at The Royal Opera House in London, although here Richter’s score is given the full scope of a standalone new album.

Expanded and extended from the original piece, Infra comprises music written for piano, electronics and string quintet, including the full performance score as well as material that has subsequently developed from the construction of the album, more a continued reference to the ballet than as a “studio album” in the strictest sense. The composition resonates with Richter’s characteristic musical voice , majestic, involved textures; fluent and sweeping melodies; an enigmatic and inherently intellectual understanding of harmonic complexities that compels and mesmerizes.

An active collaborator in other media, Ricther received The European Film Award last year for his work on Waltz with Bashir, Ari Forman’s Oscar-nominated animated documentary. Infra is Richter’s fifth full-length release with FatCat, and the first soundtrack; previous albums are 2008’s 24 Postcards in Full Colour, Songs From Before (2006), The Blue Notebooks (2004) and last year’s Memoryhouse, a reissue of his 2002 debut. Richter‘s forthcoming scores include Benedek Fliegauf’s near-future dystopia Womb, as well as from “The Art Of Mirrors,” a film/music performance with hitherto unseen Super-8mm films by Derek Jarman. 2010 also saw Richter’s music featured prominently in Martin Scorcese’s major motion picture Shutter Island.

Max Richter Infra Track Listing

1.  Infra 1
2.  Journey 1
3.  Infra 2
4.  Infra 3
5.  Journey 2
6.  Infra 4
7.  Journey 3
8.  Journey 4
9.  Journey 5
10. Infra 5
11. Infra 6
12. Infra 7
13. Infra 8