Amalgam, written by Taylor Brook, recorded by TAK ensemble.

from TAK ensemble's album, Ecstatic Music: TAK plays Brook, available on New Focus (FCR 169).

About Amalgam

Amalgam was written for TAK in the summer of 2015.

Amalgam focuses on orchestration, or more precisely, the mixture and unification of the instrumental forces into one unit. This idea of amalgamation through orchestration is approached in two ways. The first approach aims at fusion, building up a complex form of unison playing, matching frequencies, rhythms, and timbres to create a unified monophonic texture. This extended unison is developed throughout the first large section of the piece.

The second half of the piece explores heterophonic textures: a unison line created by the combination of different elements from by different instruments. Instead of true unison and monophony, fusion through connected and contrasting instrumental lines is the goal.

TAK - Amalgam - Taylor Brook

Regarded as “one of the most prominent ensembles in the United States practicing truly experimental music” (I Care If You Listen), TAK delivers energetic performances "that combine crystalline clarity with the disorienting turbulence of a sonic vortex.” (WIRE Magazine). The ambitious ensemble “impresses with the organicity of their sound, their dynamism and virtuosity” (New Sounds, WQXR). Dedicated to the commissioning of new works and direct collaboration with artists working in a variety of disciplines, TAK promotes ambitious programming at the highest level. 
 The quintet has released four albums to critical acclaim, including Oor (2019), which launched their in-house media label TAK editions. This label creates broadly accessible platforms for audience engagement with a host of new music media with a focus on original TAK content. The ensemble's Youtube videos have been viewed 15,000 times, and the TAK Editions Podcast has received over 5,000 listens from across the globe.

'Love, Crystal and Stone' by Ashkan Behzadi out on TAK editions 5/10/22

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TAK’s operations occur on Lenape lands—Lenapehoking; we acknowledge the Lenpae as the original people of this land and their continuing relationship with their territory.

TAK - Amalgam - Taylor Brook

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