8 Tracks: Of Mysteries With Max Richter

Music

Max Richter is arguably one of the most influential and talented producers and composers of our generation. For more than fifteen years now he has been producing beautifully mesmerising records and soundtracks. He has captured a sense of modern ambience which is hard to replicate, although many have tried. Last year saw him release one of his most accomplished pieces of music to date in the form of 'Sleep'. We caught up with him to talk musical mysteries. Here are his eight tracks…

Follow Max Richter on Facebook HERE. Max will play three shows in Berlin on the 15th, 16th and 17th of March as well as a UK tour later this year. The 'Sleep' Remixes package is now available for download.

LISTEN

Nisennenmondai - 'B2'

What a fascinating outfit this lot are. Like a lot of really interesting work, their music is partly about what they leave out, what they don’t tell us. In this age of rampant over sharing this comes as a welcome surprise. I love those guitar tones – Vinny Riley meets Takemitsu maybe?

Nisennenmondai - 'B2'

What a fascinating outfit this lot are. Like a lot of really interesting work, their music is partly about what they leave out, what they don’t tell us. In this age of rampant over sharing this comes as a welcome surprise. I love those guitar tones – Vinny Riley meets Takemitsu maybe?
Francois Couperin - Les Barricades Mystérieuses

I love Couperin’s keyboard music, so well suited to being played at home – it feels private or secret in some way. This clip is from Terence Malick’s Tree of Life, one of the best films of recent years, where the Couperin has a couple of walk on parts.
Breathless - Viva

A lovely slab of 90s ambient guitar, maybe prefiguring some of the drone music to come. I really like the way the light and dark mix together in this track – the oceanic guitar tones and the bright foreground feel like a fascinating landscape to explore.
Messiaen - Quartet For The End Of Time 8

This is a landmark in 20thC Classical music, by the maverick visionary Messaien, who ended up the patron saint of French postwar music. This piece was written while Messaien was an inmate in a POW camp, and performed by him and 3 other inmates for an audience of fellow prisoners. Its a fascinating and powerful piece.
Let's Eat Grandma - Deep Six Textbook

These guys are really extraordinary. I know nothing about them except this track, which has a sort of droning pulsing darkness coupled with incomprehensible kiddy vocals that is very compelling. I love the amount of space there is in this music . its very assured.
Brendel, J.S.Bach Nun Komm'der Heiden Heiland

This is an arrangement of Bach by the brilliant 20th century Italian composer Busoni. Brendel plays this music like he was born knowing it. There is Bach and then there is everything else.
Mogwai - Ether

A surprisingly twinkly track from the scottish guitar army. This is from a film score and has that beautiful shimmering quality that tells stories so well. I really look forward to seeing the film!
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - Bobbing Beams Of Light

More shimmering light. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith has been producing some of the most interesting Buchla synth based music out there for the last few years, and this is no exception – typically intelligent and colourful. There is a new album in the works and I expect it will be sublime.
Anna Von Hauswolff - The Miraculous

Anna Von Hauswolff plays the organ like Hendrix would have played the organ. Or probably how Bach DID play the organ (though we will never know). This is from her current album and is a typically daunting slab of instrumental power. Great stuff. Turn it up Anna.!