Album now available at 

https://batcomposer.bandcamp.com/album/the-spaces-between-life-living

Part concept album, part ASMR experience, "The Spaces Between Life & Living" is an eclectic blend of electronic and ambient music, with tips of the hat to C418 ["Minecraft"], Pink Floyd, A Winged Victory For The Sullen and Gustav Mahler.

Begun during the student protests of 2016 and finished during quarantine in 2020, the album deals with all the "in between" moments of life - where change occurs - from simple things like going for a walk, to the more complex moments of births, deaths and rebirths of all shapes and sizes.

released July 12, 2021

Composed, programmed, recorded & mixed by Matthijs van Dijk

Mastered by Simon Ratcliffe at Sound & Motion Studios, Cape Town.

Cape Town, 2021.

"Meters Of Blue" from "The Spaces Between Life & Living"

"We'll Laugh Later" (2022)

Performed by

Danré Strydom - Conductor
Lauren Aldag - saxophone
Vivianna Pearson - piano
Karlin Kock - piano
Tiaan Uys - bass
Lisa Lombaard - percussion
Omogolo Mohibidu - percussion

Recorded live in Bloemfontein.

We'll Laugh Later

"Concerto" for violin & orchestra (2015) - Matthijs van Dijk

Performed by Jeffrey Armstrong and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Brandon Phillips.

Recorded live at The City Hall, Cape Town, 2023.

"Concerto" for violin & orchestra

"Dances Of Solitude" for violin & harp (2009) by Matthijs van Dijk 
Performed by Clockwise
Marc Uys - violin
Jacqueline Kerrod - harp

Recorded Live At The Tenri Cultural Institute, January 17, 2010. Commissioned for Clockwise by the Samro Endowment for the National Arts

There is a well known saying which states: “Dance as if no one is watching you.” Dances Of Solitude takes that thought one step further, because on many levels it is about dancing as if no one IS actually watching you. As the title implies, the work is about isolation, be it forced or by choice.

Although the work is divided in to three movements, they are played together almost without a break between sections, with material seeping through from one movement to the next, giving it the feeling of being one continuous movement which hints at various forms of dances: a slow ballet-esque dance; traditional African dance music; electronic dance music and finally a one-man mosh-pit to a heavy metal riff heard on the violin.

"Dances Of Solitude" for violin and harp

"Billie Jean" ala Chris Cornell arr. M van Dijk

The ShhArt Ensemble
Violin 1: Galina Juritz
Violin 2: Matthijs van Dijk
Viola: Sarah Evans
Cello: Nicola Du Toit

Recorded live at Kalk Bay Books, 2014

Billie Jean

"All My Love" arr. M van Dijk

The ShhArt Ensemble
Violin 1: Galina Juritz
Violin 2: Matthijs van Dijk
Viola: Sarah Evans
Cello: Nicola Du Toit

Recorded live at Kalk Bay Books, 2014

All My Love

"Unlike" for string quartet, uhadi bow & voice (2015)
Performed by 
The ShhArt Ensemble:  Galina Juritz - Violin 1
                                         Matthijs van Dijk - Violin 2
                                         Sarah Evans - Viola
                                         Nicola Du Toit - Cello
                                         Cara Stacey - uhadi bow
Juliana Venter - vocalisation

Recorded live at the Detroit Vintage Garage, Salt River, 2015, by Rob Brinkworth.

Unlike

"Life On Mars?" by David Bowie, arr. M van Dijk
Performed by The Shh. Art Ensemble
Violin 1 - Galina Juritz
Violin 2 - Matthijs van Dijk
Viola - Sarah Evans
Cello - Nicola Du Toit

Recorded live at The Blah Blah Bar, Cape Town, January 21st 2016, by Simon Ratcliffe.

Life On Mars? arr. for string quartet

True Love Waits by Radiohead arr. M van Dijk
Performed by The Shh. Art Ensemble
Violin 1 - Galina Juritz
Violin 2 - Matthijs van Dijk
Viola - Sarah Evans
Cello - Nicola Du Toit

Recorded live at The Blah Blah Bar, Cape Town, January 21st 2016, by Simon Ratcliffe.

True Love Waits arr. for string quartet

"Sex, Drugs & Klezmer Music" - Clarinet Quintet No. 1 (2003)
Clarinet - Justin Carter
Violin 1 - Lucia Di-Blasio Scott
Violin 2 - Nicole D'Oliveira
Viola - Sarah Evans
Cello - David Pinoit

Recorded live by Rob Johnson at the Baxter Theatre, Cape Town, 2017.

Clarinet Quintet No. 1

"Sex, Drugs & Klezmer Music" - Clarinet Quintet No. 1

"Dance." for orchestra (2015)
The South African National Youth Orchestra conducted by Sarah Ioannides, recorded live at the SABC Studios. Johannesburg, December 2017.

"Dance."

"Reflections Of A Moment" for string quartet (2018)
Performed by The ShhArt Ensemble
Violin 1: Galina Juritz
Violin 2: Matthijs van Dijk
Viola: Sarah Evans
Cello: Nicola du Toit

Reflections Of A Moment

String Quartet No. 7: Personal Graffiti (2010/14)

Performed by The ShhArt Ensemble
Violin 1: Galina Juritz
Violin 2: Matthijs van Dijk
Viola: Sarah Evans
Cello: Nicola du Toit

Recorded live at Sound & Motion Studios, by Simon Ratcliffe, Cape Town, 2018.

White Room

String Quartet No. 7: Personal Graffiti

"Cape Town 2016" - for string quartet, uhadi, djembe, electronics & found sound. (2016)

Performed by The ShhArt Ensemble
Violin 1: Galina Juritz
Violin 2: Matthijs van Dijk
Viola: Sarah Evans
Cello: Nicola du Toit
Uhadi: Cara Stacey
Djembe: Lungiswa Plaatjies

Recorded live Cape Town, 2016.
Found sound recorded: Tamboerkskoof/Kloof Street, 2016.
Best listened to with headphones!

Cape Town 2016 (live version)

"Upon Viewing" - for flute, harp & percussion (2009)

Performed by MAYA Trio
Sato Moughalian - flute
Jacqueline Kerrod - harp
John Hadfield - percussion

Recorded live at Our Saviour's Atonement, New York City, 2009.

Live at Our Saviour's Atonement,NYC, 10.4.09

Upon Viewing

"Of Last Rounds & Samples" for alto saxophone, euphonium, tuba, string quintet & drum kit (2015)

Performed by 0:9

The Phax Trio
Shaun Acker: alto saxophone
Andrea Fisher-Jeffes: euphonium
Zhaun Gorridon: tuba

The Night Light Collective
Galina Juritz: Violin 1
Matthijs van Dijk: Violin 2
Sarah Evans: Viola
Nicola du Toit: Cello

Brydon Bolton: Double Bass
Jay Latter: drum kit

Recorded live at The Blah Blah Bar, Cape Town, 2015.

Of Last Rounds & Samples

"But All I Wanna Do Is Dance" (2016)

Performed by I Musicanti

Violin: Tamás András
Viola: Robert Smissen
Cello: Richard Harwood
Bass: Leon Bosch
Piano: Peter Donohoe

Recorded live at St John's Smith Square, London, 2017.

There is a general consensus in comedy (and in most forms of entertainment) which is "Don't mention politics: you will immediately lose half your audience." However, whatever your political leaning, I think we can all agree, to quote a t-shirt I saw recently: "2016 Sucked". From Brexit and Trump, to students (and friends) clashing with police over free education in South Africa, we've been confronted, through the help of social media, with what seems to be a never ending wave of anger, frustration, hate and bigotry in all shapes and sizes - all issues that need to be addressed, of course, and, once one is aware of them, unable to ignore.

The title is not a joyous declaration by any means, but rather an "inner childlike" plea - an overwhelmed whisper of "I can't be an adult any more. Please stop." Originally, the piece was going to be called "#butallIwannadoisdance", but the more I worked on it, the more I felt that instead of allowing social media to overpower me, I needed to break free from it and drop the hashtag. This piece is part "tip of the hat" to electronic dance music and part elegy to one's inner child yearning to dance and/or play; yearning for a time when one was too young to really know what was going on in the world, if one was fortunate (or privileged) enough to not have to.

But All I Wanna Do Is Dance

"And The Days Are Not Full Enough" (2016)
Text: Ezra Pound
Music: Matthijs van Dijk

Performed by
Nicky Schrire - soprano
Matthijs van Dijk - violin
Ariella Caira - cello

Recorded in rehearsal.

And The Days Are Not Full Enough

"Scenes From A Bar" (2017)

Maureen Braithwaite - mezzo-soprano
Naomi Sullivan - alto saxophone
Gloria Yehilevsky - wine glasses & bottle

Recorded live at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Birmingham, 2018.

Scenes From A Bar

"Can We Talk About" (2019)

Performed by

Conductor - Yannick Mayaud 
Soprano saxophone - Naomi Sullivan
Alto saxophone - Luke Riedinger
Tenor saxophone - Andrew Tweed
Baritone saxophone - Chloe Percy-Smith
Alto - Isobel Matthews
Piano - Dominika Blatt 
Guitar - Oliver Kinsella
Bass - Rob Roberts 
Drums - Alexander Henshaw

Recorded live. Birmingham, 2019.

Can We Talk About

Music from "Othello's Wild Years" (2019)

Reza Khota - guitar
Matthijs van Dijk - violin
Sarah Evans - viola
Luke Otto - cello
Brydon Bolton - double bass

Recorded live in Cape Town, 2019.

Matthijs van Dijk

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