On 21st April, the Colin Currie Group will release their album Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians. Following the success of Colin’s previous Steve Reich albums, (Steve Reich: Drumming in 2018 and Colin Currie & Steve Reich Live at Fondation Louis Vuitton in 2019), this album, recorded with Synergy Vocals at Abbey Road Studios, is to be the sixth release on Colin Currie Records and the third in a series of Steve Reich recordings. Of Reich’s comprehensive catalogue, this warm and resonant composition is rightly one of the composer’s most famous and enduring works as it signifies a major breakthrough in the sphere of minimalist music. “The perfect musical beehive” is how Currie describes performing the piece—and it’s easy to see why, with each musician purposefully teasing the material along, playing their own brilliantly contained part, yet contributing to something greater that hums with life. In the group’s 15-year history, Colin and his fellow musicians have developed a close collaborative relationship with Reich, and this year they celebrate his 86th birthday with their recording. The album will be available to pre-order here from Friday 10 March 2023. Mastered in Dolby Atmos, it will be available on SACD and via all major streaming and download services. Following the album’s release, the Colin Currie Group and Synergy Vocals will tour Japan performing works by Steve Reich, including Music for 18 Musicians.
Watch the album teaser here