Nonclassical Records

John Richards Suite for Piano and Electronics GéNIA

G. Prokofiev Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra Heritage Orchestra feat. DJ Yoda

Cortical Songs John Matthias and Nick Ryan

Sergei Prokofiev’s grandson has mighty big shoes to fill, but his footsteps lead in a daringly different direction. Gabriel Prokofiev, a 34-year-old Londoner, founded the Nonclassical label to make classical accessible to a younger crowd. Besides commissioning works by innovative young composers, Prokofiev runs a club night in which Nonclassical artists perform, followed by DJs spinning remixes of the compositions.

The confluence of classical and electronica thrills on three recent Nonclassical releases; the second half of each disc features bold, wildly varying remixes by Thom Yorke, Hot Chip, composer Max de Wardener and British techno outfit Germ, among others. Matthias and Ryan’s striking work for string orchestra and solo violin in four movements, Cortical Songs, alternately passes through chaotic waves and elegant, harmonious swells while keeping a sorrowful sting in its tail.

Prokofiev’s own compositions receive a work over by young Brits Heritage Orchestra, whose flexible interpretations have a startling impact. On Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra, which flares with energy, “Malmo” boasts a fierce orchestration riddled with DJ Yoda’s scratches, which use a sample of the conductor coughing. It’s magnificent.

Russian virtuoso pianist GéNIA triumphs with the chilly spaciousness of John Richards Suite for Piano and Electronics. In its two fractured, Satie-influenced movements, the deeply resonant, melancholy piano is played against a scattering of electrical glitches.

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