Star Maker Fragments - TAK Ensemble and Taylor Brook
Taylor Brook’s “Star Maker Fragments” sets excerpts of Olaf Stapledon’s groundbreaking 1937 novel “Star Maker.” Most notable for the invention of the many-worlds model of the universe, the novel focuses on a human narrator that is transported out of their body to become a disembodied viewpoint that travels through space and time. Brook evocatively renders Stapledon’s descriptions of imaginary societies with his sweeping and transcendentally detailed microtonal lines. Implicitly critiquing the rise of global authoritarianism in both music and text, Brook relishes in Stapledon’s empathetic and thoughtfully pacifistic lens. This stunning concert-length work weaves transcendentally detailed microtonal lines and textures into Brook's visceral and evocative hypothetical worlds.
TAK commissioned multi-disciplinary artist Lara Lewison to create original artwork for the album. In addition to digital downloads, posters with download codes and Lewison’s original art are available for purchase on TAK’s bandcamp page.
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Laura Cocks - flute
Madison Greenstone - clarinet
Marina Kifferstein - violin
Charlotte Mundy - voice
Ellery Trafford - percussion
Taylor Brook - electronics
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Produced by Taylor Brook
Mastered by Chris Botta
Recorded by Ryan Streber at Oktaven Audio
Artwork by Lara Lewison
Design by Laura Cocks
Text Excerpted from "Star Maker" by Olaf Stapledon
TAK’s operations, including the rehearsing and recording of this album, occur on Lenape lands—Lenapehoking; we acknowledge the Lenape as the original people of this land and their continuing relationship with their territory.
Special thanks to David Bird
Ⓟ & © all rights reserved TAK ensemble / TAK editions 2021
Star Maker Fragments received it’s premiere concert performance on September 17, 2022, at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, Cary Hall in New York City.
This premiere was performed by TAK ensemble with Taylor Brook realizing the live sound processing and diffusion.
Lighting design by Abigail Hoke-Brady.
Photo on the left from dress rehearsal.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.