“Hot” was released on April 2, by “New Focus Recordings”. The Compositions written by famous academic avant-garde composers Chaya Czernowin, Marcos Balter, Franco Donatoni, Georges Aperghis, Anthony Cheung and Aaron Cassidy. All the compositions were masterfully recorded by saxophonist Ryan Muncy, “Ensemble Dal Niente”, flutist Claire Chase, violist Nadia Sirota and harpist Ben Melsky. All the composers have their own and original musical language and composing style. Evocative and interesting musical language, polyphonic pattern, independent melodies, original and inventive musical decisions, sound experiments and the highest attention to creation of evocative and innovative sound – all these elements are the main elements of their compositions. Each composer has a different composing style, which is based on various synthesis between contrasting Music styles and manners. Composers masterfully get together impressionism and post-impressionism, expressionism, minimalism, experimental music, contemporary academical music, electronic music, spectral and concrete music, the intonations of avant-garde jazz, modernism and post-modernism. All these elements are gently synthesized together in their compositions. The musical language is especially rich and evocative because of many different composing techniques, which are connected with their own ways of composing. Acoustic and electronics, puantilism, serialism, dodecaphony, computer music, electronic and experimental music composing techniques, innovative and modern instrumentation, special sound effects and many other music elements are gently connected together in one place. The main attention is paid to extraordinary and modern sound, search of unique and specific composing techniques, evocative instrumentation decisions and original sound. Composers are expressing wide range of different moods and expressions, combine together the pieces which are highly contrasting with each other. They are writing many different forms and ensembles – pieces for solo instruments, chamber music, compositions for string quartets, quintets and other instruments compilations. Own and unique playing styles are more or less revealed in all genres and forms, but the most of all – chamber music. The compositions of this album is the great retrospective of academic avant-garde and an opportunity to hear different, but original and interesting music written by talented composers.

The music of this album was written for chamber ensembles and instruments compoilations. It’s based on new academical music and main elements of academic avant-garde. Georges Aperghis: “Rasch” for soprano saxophone and viola, Anthony Cheung “Refrain from Riffing” for alto saxophone and harp”, Aaron Cassidy “Asphyxia” for soprano saxophone”, Marcos Balter “Strohbass” for bass flute and baritone saxophone”, Chaya Czernowin “The Last Leaf” for sopranino saxophone” and Franco Donatoni “Hot” for solo tenor and sopranino saxophone and ensemble were written in this album. Each composition is highly different from the others. The composers try out extended and original ways of playing, modern scales, use sharp and dissonance harmony, innovative orchestration decisions and huge amount of different expressions. This music is the synthesis between various academic avant-garde and contemporary academical music styles. Expressionism and post-expressionism, minimalism, experimental and electronic music, special sound effects and other similar compilations of various modern music styles make an effort to whole sound of the compositions. All the compositions have much in common – rich and expressive musical langauge, many different musical patterns, which are highly contrasting with each other, dissonance and sharp harmony, colorful and interesting orchestration, sound experiments, search for new and extraordinary timbres, independent and vivacious melodies, polyrhythmy, polyharmony, various types of tempos which are used all together at the same time, spectral and concrete music intonations. All these elements turn these compositions into vivacious and modern academic avant-garde samples. The compositions were masterfully recorded by all musicians. They are trying out different playing techniques, use spontaneous and experimental ways of playing, original musical decisions and create a interesting, effective and original sound. The music is full of different timbres and strange sounds. The most part of these compositions were written for soprano saxophone solo or duo with another instrument. Saxophonist Ryan Muncy is the master of combining together different musical elements, contrasting pieces and modern ways of playing. Expressive and vivacious melodies, evocative and interesting solos, vivid and striking blow outs, innovative musical experiments and organic synthesis between traditional and new ways of playing. Ryan Muncy masterfully combine together new academical music, academic avant-garde, free improvisation, experimental music and other similar music styles. His music is always full of sudden stylistic waves, colorful and pleasant changes, bright and striking contrasts and many other things. Along with other masterful and talented musicians, Ryan Muncy creates vivid, modern, original and especially expressive interpretations of different academic avant-garde compositions. Masterful, touching and passionate playing of all musicians and ensembles, unique and specific composing styles, eclectic and creative synthesis between various modern music styles and composing techniques create innovative sound of whole album.