Various Artists - Ailís Ní Ríain: The Last Time I Died (2023) Hi-Res

The Last Time I Died is the first full-length album from the Irish composer Ailís Ní Ríain. The latest in NMC's Debut Disc series features a group of musically diverse artists performing a rich selection of Ní Ríain's chamber and small-scale works, the "theatre, intimacy, and nuance" of which has occupied the composer over much of the previous 20 years of her career. Described by the Irish Times as "a significant talent" Ní Ríain's music has been performed across Europe and further afield in Brazil, Japan, and the USA. One of the principle ideas explored in Ní Ríain's work is communication with others, something which she has a unique perspective on as she is deaf/hard of hearing. Whilst this has sometimes placed her in challenging situations regarding verbal communication, her hearing differences have also heightened and enhanced how she relates to sound. The Last Time I Died is a portrait of a composer harnessing this unique experience of the sonic world to explore a huge range of substantial themes including consciousness, relationships, reality, and death.