CD remakes classical norm
■William Orbit s unique
style fuses classical pieces
with modern pop music
Pieces in a Modern Style
William Orbit
★ ★★★☆
By Mason West
Oregon Daily Emerald
In a music industry where hip
hop, pop music and fast beats are
the norm, it doesn’t seem cool to
like classical music.
But William Orbit’s new release
“Pieces in a Modern Style,” he
brings classical back toward the
mainstream.
“Pieces in a Modem Style” con
tains 11 classical songs ranging
from the Baroque-era work of Vi
valdi and Handel, to early 19th
century Beethoven compositions,
C C The key to the whole
album was the choice of
the repertoire and not
stylistic considerations.
William Orbit
to the early 20th-century pieces by
Barber, Cage, and Mascagni, end
ing with the most recent work by
Henryk Gorecki.
Orbit has made some connec
tion with the songs on “Pieces in a
Modern Style.” He has an under
standing of what they mean to
him, and he has reinterpreted*that
I
Photo courtesy of Warner Music
William Orbit makes classical music hip for a new generation.
meaning into a great album.
“The key to the whole album
was the choice of the repertoire
and not stylistic considerations,"
Orbit explained in a press release
on his Web site. "I wanted to avoid
cliches that had been done to
death. What draws me to any type
of music is the strength of the
tunes and melody. These pieces
have stood the test of time and can
be interpreted in any era.”
Orbit didn’t just take recordings
of these songs and put a beat in the
background. Instead, he remade
each piece with a synthesizer, tak
ing advantage of ambient sounds
to recreate the songs much in their
original fashion but with that
21st-century twist.
Orbit most recently worked
with Madonna on her album “Ray
of Light,” which he co-wrote and
co-produced. He also produced
Blur’s latest album and has done
remixes for such famous artists as
Seal, Sting and Peter Gabriel.
“Pieces in a Modern Style” is
obviously not for everybody. Its
ambient sounds are not well-suit
ed for driving down the highway
or to a big party. They are perfect,
however, for creating a serene
mood, such as during finals week.
While some may condemn the
album for being unoriginal, I ap
plaud his resolve in making an al
bum that doesn’t fit either in the
world of pop music or classical
music. In the best scenario, this al
bum will serve as a means to
bridge that gap.
Built to Spill’s latest
displays ‘Live’ energy
■The album can be taken
as a greatest hits collection,
but the live mix showcases
the band at its best
Live
Built to Spill
★★★☆☆
By Rory Carroll
Oregon Daily Emerald
If the guitar solo is really
dead, Built To Spill frontman
Doug Marsch didn’t get the
memo.
With more guitar skill than
his indie peers, Marsch sculpts
his soundscapes with the same
daring imagination that wrote
the songs that made them at
mospheric giants with one of
the best albums of the nineties,
“Perfect From Now On.”
The new BTS record resem
bles a greatest-hits tape in many
ways. “Live” documents some
of the best songs to come from
their two Warner Brothers re
leases, as well as an excellent
rendition of “Car” from their last
album on K Records, “There’s
Nothing Wrong with Love.”
What’s new is the brooding,
tangled guitar anti-heroics that
push and shove their way to the
front of the music.
The explosive opener “The
Plan” begins with wailing,
sweeping guitar riffs that soon
breakdown into a heavy, indus
trial bridge.
The cover songs, including
Love as Laughter’s “Singing
Sores Make Perfect Swords” and
The Halo Benders “Virginia Reel
Around the Fountain” are de
cent, but there are many Built to
Spill gems missing from this
polished bootleg.
Still, the combination of
Marsch's inspired vocals and
stellar rhythm support makes
“Live” swell with raw emotion
al currents that can’t be cap
tured in a studio. The mix is
also sensational and a credit to
producer Phil Ek’s abilities.
Even though the 20-minute
cover of Neil Young’s “Cortez
the Killer” doesn’t translate as
well on tape as it does as an
epic show-closer, “Broken
Chairs” is a testament to the
power of an innovative band
that is still exploring new terri
tory.
Do You Know Your LIMIT?
Approximate Blood Alcohol Percentage
Body weight in pounds
1 oz.
80 proof —
liquor
12 oz. beer
(Not a “40.”
A “40” is over
3 beers.)
.«smOfife,
The chart is only a guide. Each person’s response to alcohol will vary, based on individual tolerance for
alcohol, food intake, fatigue, and other factors. A person’s driving can sometimes be impaired after only
one drink.
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