AGAINST METHOD celebrates counter)induction’s 20th anniversary as an ensemble. This recording features premiere recordings of works written for the group by c)i’s member composers, Kyle Bartlett, Douglas Boyce, Jessica Meyer, and Ryan Streber, alongside first recordings of music by two guests, Diego Tedesco and Alvin Singleton.
This album captures the fundamental subversion at the core of c)i’s ethos - the prioritization of substance over fashion, despite the existential pressures on a group of its kind in our contemporary landscape. Interrelationships are at the heart of what c)i is about. Dialogue, both while making music as well as in the process of curation, is the driving force behind the ensemble. In this sense, counter)induction has always strived to be a microcosm of an idealized community, one in which consensus is arrived at through the free exchange of ideas and the delicate process of compromise. It is a formula that has helped c)i endure for twenty years, and this celebration of that milestone is yet another manifestation of c)i’s commitment championing compositional craft and aesthetic integrity.
Purchase a digital copy at Bandcamp, New Focus Recordings, or Apple Music.
Purchase physical copies at Naxos, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.
Critical Praise for AGAINST METHOD
Included on The New York Times list of “7 Things to Do This Weekend”
Selected as Steve Smith’s Honor Roll of Steve Smith’s Best of 2020 Classical Recordings on Night After Night
“Top to bottom, AGAINST METHOD is a stirring listen."
- Sequenza 21
“The ultimate takeaway was that this is a great album, filled with intoxicating melodies, clever motifs, and the kind of playing that leaves your jaw ajar.
- Vital Weekly
“there is no hype in calling this ensemble a supergroup… The performances are all excellent, the sound is warm yet crisp, and the whole album satisfies far beyond its commemorative purpose. Here's to another 20 years!”
Selected as one of the Best of 2020 Classical Recordings
- anearful
Playing with a passion that comes from that good place..."
- Midwest Record
“With its selection of six diverse works by just as many composers, Against Method the album neatly encapsulates the group’s musical pluralism.”
- Avant Music News