Iannis Xenakis - Kraanerg (1997)

Iannis Xenakis is the complete 20th-century composer--a pioneer of orchestral, electronic, tape, and computer music. His combined background as a musician, mathematician, and architect led to his conception of "Stochastic music," or composition based on the mathematics of probabilities. As impenetrable as this concept may appear on paper, the music itself packs a visceral and emotional punch that belies its arcane theoretical underpinnings. Now in his 70s, Xenakis is enjoying a golden age, as a new generation of admirers rises to the challenge of performing his demanding works. Leading this resurgence is Zacharie Bornstein's ST-X Ensemble, who here navigate the long-form electroacoustic work Kraanerg. Typically, Kraanerg is not about melody and harmony so much as the relationships between shifting constellations of pure sound. The presence of youthful sonic frontiersman Paul D. Miller (a.k.a. DJ Spooky) on electronics fittingly brings the composer's far-reaching influence full circle. --Dennis Rea