Steeped in the conceptual music of the avant-garde, as well as the disciplines of jazz and academic composition, the music of
Mark Applebaum
seems to signal yet another phase of eclectic postmodernism and restless experimentation.
Speed Dating
,
Applebaum
's 2018 release on
Innova
, presents five short pieces, each with a different instrumentation, technique, and raison d'etre, and the album may be regarded as a small sample of
's wide-ranging projects. Whether working with four-channel sound poetry and clever wordplay in
Three Unlikely Corporate Sponsorships
, eight-channel outbursts of goofy synthesized sound in
Skeletons in the Closet
, an octet broken into constantly changing pairs in
, ferociously difficult technical displays for solo violin in
The Plate of Transition Nourishes the Chameleon Appetite
, or a percussion ensemble "conducted" via headphones in
Clicktrack
is clearly the master of surprisingly diverse materials and provocative ideas. Yet as varied and whimsical as his pieces are, there is always a sense of coherence and competence behind the seemingly chaotic surfaces, giving the music intellectual clarity, and while it is challenging and requires a thoughtful disposition for appreciation, this disc is reasonably accessible and entertaining because of
's wry wit and ingenuity. Highly recommended for adventurous listeners. ~ Blair Sanderson