Since January 2005, Music From Other Minds has presented new and unusual music by innovative composers and performers from around the world. Produced weekly for KALW 91.7 FM San Francisco by Charles Amirkhanian and the Other Minds staff, and aired at 10pm every Friday, Music From Other Minds aims to open up radio listeners to experimental classical work by living and recent composers. We bring you the latest in contemporary music from around the world, and some glimpses into the past, to give a context for today’s music.
Follow this link for information and track listings from programs prior to program 501.
Follow this link for a complete list of works played on MfOM up to program 654
Next: Program 656
Eclectic Experimentation
KALW Broadcast: June 18, 2021
Host: Mark Abramson
Host: Mark Abramson
A freeform set of experimental work that’s truly cross-genre. Could be sub-titled “new music for people with a short attention span.” If you don’t like a particular piece, stick around for the next one…it will likely be completely different. You’ll hear experimental music in multiple genres, including a few artists that will be participating in Other Minds Festival 25 – Mary Halvorson, Elliott Sharp and Amirtha Kidambi. The resulting set contains music that ranges from improv to jazz, exotica to electronica.
Previous Programs
Program 655: Degrees of Freedom Found
Liam Herb presents music from the late avant-garde composer and pianist Robert Nathan Sheff, known professionally as “Blue” Gene Tyranny.
Program 654: Betty Freeman at 100, Commissions and Dedications
On this Music from Other Minds, Randall Wong honors the 100th Birthday of Betty Freeman (June 2, 1921-January 3, 2009) by playing works dedicated to and commissioned by the famous art philanthropist. Tune in to hear pieces by Lou Harrison, John Cage, Conlon Nancarrow, Harry Partch, and more.
Program 653: Freeform New Music
A freeform presentation of tracks I’ve been wanting to play for a while, but haven’t found the right theme to group them with. Compositions by Edgard Varèse, Brazilian composer Marcos Balter, Korean composer Unsuk Chin, Linda Catlin Smith, electronic works by Ruth Anderson and Jean-Claude Risset. We also play work from Terry Riley, John Luther Adams and the duo of Darren Johnston and Fred Frith.
Program 652: Interviews and Music from the Emerald Isle
On this Music from Other Minds, Liam Herb presents music and interviews with Irish composers conducted at the 2019 New Music Dublin Festival. Featured composers include Jennifer Walshe, Karen Power, and Jane O’Leary.
Program 651: Art-Pop-Art-Pop-Art
This program features music coming from pop musicians that is to some degree experimental, and music from experimental musicians that contains elements of pop. We’ll play tracks by Scott Walker, Laurie Anderson, Lucrecia Dalt, David Sylvian, Colin Stetson, György Ligeti, Negativland, Cathy Berberian, and Bing Crosby.
Program 650: Shadows and Morphine
On the this Music from Other Minds, Randall Wong celebrates composer Daniel Lentz’s 80th birthday with musical selections and plays Rosśa Crean’s one-act opera The Priestess of Morphine: A Forensic Study of Marie-Madeleine in the Time of the Nazis.
LIBRETTO The Priestess of Morphine: A Forensic Study of Marie-Madeleine in the Time of the Nazis
Program 649: Evolving Music
This program explores work by composers Morton Feldman and Tyshawn Sorey. Morton Feldman is one of the 20th Century’s most influential composers, a pioneer of indeterminate music and notational innovations. Tyshawn Sorey is a virtuosic drummer and a composer whose prolific work ranges from classical to jazz to experimental. This quiet, slowly evolving music, has a few sonic surprises.
Program 648: The Great Anthony J Gnazzo
On this broadcast of Music from Other Minds, Liam Herb introduces works of concert music, sound poetry, tape music, and radio art by Anthony Gnazzo in honor of his 85th birthday. Featured on the program are his compositions Not So (1971), Did I wake you? (1981), An Orchestra is Born (1972), The Art of Canning Music (1978), early works of concert music, and more.
Program 647: New Music from Okinawa and Mainland Japan
On this Music from Other Minds, Randall Wong introduced stunning new works from Okinawa and mainland Japan by Aragaki Mutsumi, Michiyo Yagi, Ken Sugai, Cockroach Eater, and more.
Program 646: Experimental | Pop
This week we look at the intersection between pop and experimental music. We’ll play Joseph Byrd, a composer and academic who studied under John Cage and Morton Feldman, formed a rock band in the late ’60s called The United States of America. We’ll play some classic 1960s weirdness by Frank Zappa. And we’ll also hear from John Zorn, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, and Patti Smith.
