From Vaknar:

Canadian violinist Christopher Whitley presents his first release of this year, ‘Landscape Shifts (Slight Return)ʼ, a collage of material derived from a 40 minute single movement piece that originally premiered in Austin, Texas earlier this year, composed by Christopher Whitley for small ensemble, electronics and projections.

Having been composed and performed a month before the Covid-19 related US shutdown, the piece was originally conceived in response to the Book How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell, yet took on a new meaning as the core theme proved to be uncannily prescient in the following months of enforced statis and lockdown.

The work itself, split into two parts, evokes themes of solitary introversion and serene patience, imbedded in an tranquil ambiance featuring light movements of cello, voice, violin, piano, percussion and electronics, yet the piece never comes to feel cluttered as the small ensemble unfolds in a flurry of harmony throughout its 23 minute duration, as even in its busiest moments ‘Landscape Shifts (Slight Return)ʼ is as much about the music as it is about the silence in between the individual sounds, giving the work an acute sense of intimacy that offers listeners a moment of sincere respite in these turbulent times.

Composed and Produced by Christopher Whitley

Performed by: Julia Dixon (cello), Kumiko Sakamoto (voice), Camille Schiess (violin), and Christopher Whitley (piano, percussion, electronics)