Tyondai Braxton was formerly with math-rockers Battles, and his previous solo fare saw him diving head-first into the realms of the classical/electronic avant-garde with some dazzling results.
Hive1, initially part of a 2013 ensemble performance and architectural installation at New York's Guggenheim Museum, is a fine example of Braxton's fascination with that edge or blur between new-school electronic machinations and old-school classical contours.
There are nods here and there to modern composers, but the real richness comes in the push and pull between ambient pulses, rhythmic wobbles and deconstructed electronics.
There’s not quite enough to warrant a rave – the eight-part suite was, no doubt, a much different experience in the Guggenheim setting. Still, there’s enough to mark Braxton out as a composer with a real spark of adventure to his work.
