MultiTraction Orchestra was assembled by composer, guitarist, and producer Alex Roth in direct response to the first coronavirus lockdown. Roth gathered together members of GoGo Penguin, Supersilent, Melt Yourself Down, Crash Ensemble, Sly & The Family Drone, and Hen Ogledd.
The Orchestra’s ten-minute debut single (Emerge Entangled) was built from improvisations recorded remotely by 27 musicians from 15 cities in 8 different countries.
Two years on, the release of ‘Reactor One’ takes the project a step further with remote recordings made during 2021 showing an admirably creative response to the restrictions imposed during the pandemic.
Roth says I tried to let the material guide the process, rather than coming at it with a fixed idea.” Fluid string textures plus processed percussion and beats lend a chilled, organic energy to six numbered instrumentals. James Allsopp’s saxophone and bass clarinet plus Arve Henriksen’s trumpet parts were only added after the loose ambient arrangements from the remote recordings had been established.
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The finished result has a relatively modest playing time of just over half an hour with quality taking precedence over quantity.
Alex Roth’s website
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