ari benjamin meyers Symphony X (CD, £13.75)

'Symphony X' is a work of symphonic scale that combines elements of hardcore, experimental and minimal music into an entirely original musical texture. Ari Benjamin Meyers wrote this 70-minute piece specifically for his unique 17 member Redux Orchestra which includes saxophones, brass, strings, electric guitar, electric bass, drums and electronics. This physically demanding work combines complex repetitive instrumental arrangements with electro-noise, martial percussion rhythms and intense guitar melodies, escalating into a veritable tour de force. By uniting the formalistic structures of classical and minimal music with the sonic palette of rock, hardcore and electronic music, Meyers builds upon experiences gained from collaborations with Philip Glass, Einstürzende Neubauten, The Residents, Morton Subotnik, The Orb and Sun Electric among others, as well as his work for classical institutions including the Semper Opera Dresden and the Berlin State Opera. Nevertheless, 'Symphony X' is not a crossover work but a musical hybrid that will get the attention of audiences both at the classical symphony hall and at rock music festivals. "With 'Symphony X', Ari Benjamin Meyers has constructed a vividly evolving, involving minimalist meditation that is propelled by a rock backbeat. It pummels thru a dizzyingly unrelenting series of progressions, existing somewhere at an intersection of Branca, Glass and Love Of Life Orchestra." - JG Thirwell (Foetus).