Nico Muhly Essentials

A wunderkind composer who’s worked with modern indie rockers like Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Grizzly Bear and The National, Nico Muhly is even more revered as a songsmith of visceral, pensive film scores, chamber pieces and piano works. The chromaticism and expressionist currents of his Cycles LP (with James McVinnie) threaten to lead one astray, while the whimsical interplay between voice and electronics on “Mothertongue: I. Archive”, yields kaleidoscopes of shimmering sound. His post-minimalist “Four Studies: II. Fast Canons” and “Four Studies: III. Slow Canons” take on an angular, crunchy hue when played by Angela and Jennifer Chun.