Mystery & Wonder Records

Press

Mystery & Wonder was featured in the Fall 2019 issue of MusicWorks
Read the article by Lawrence Joseph

NEWS

NEW RELEASES:

MW012: Craig Pedersen – As Long As There Is Sorrow

This album, the latest by Craig Pedersen, has been in the works since 2021, and features Mark Molnar on cello, Thierry Amar on double bass and Bennett Bedoukian on drums. It marks an evolution, or even revolution in his compositional practice and ways of working – with a move away from tangible melodic material, into the use of text and oral scores, to more tangibly and clearly express that which can not otherwise be expressed. Previous listeners to the Craig Pedersen Quartet may recognize the “chordless quartet” format at times, but life has been breathed anew with duos and trios.

The title piece “As Long As There Is Sorrow” was written during 2021 when Canada’s shameful past of First Nations Residential Schools was at the forefront of public consciousness. With this, came a resolution that whenever performed or released, I would use it as opportunity to raise the voices of those in need.

In short: Free Palestine.

mp3 | flac

MW011: Gudinni Cortina – Morada

Featuring field recordings, oscillators, sine-waves and no-input mixing board, this album is available as a download accompanied by a set of 3 art postcards with liner notes by artist Yan Jun (subjamlabel.bandcamp.com), or as a download with deluxe digital liner notes.

postcards | mp3 | flac

MW010: E Millar – artificial field recording

E Millar’s new solo record combines recordings of kinetic sound sculptures with excerpts of auditory urban environments of the Notre-Dame-de-Grace neighbourhood of Montreal.

postcards | mp3 | flac

Past releases:

MW011: Craig Pedersen – dismissal
mp3 | flac

MW009: e millar & christof kurzmann – rare entertainment
CDR | mp3 | flac

MW008: Sound of the Mountain with Tetuzi Akiyama and Toshimaru Nakamura
amplified clarinet & trumpet, guitars, nimb
CD | mp3 | flac

MW007: Rippleganger – Touri Michi
CDR | mp3 | flac

MW006: Brandon Auger, when sails fold.
CDR | mp3 | flac

MW005: E Millar – no instrument machine, air
CD | mp3 | flac

MW004: PCP Trio – internal/external/focused/broad
CDR | mp3 | flac

MW003: Craig Pedersen Quartet – Approaching the Absence of Doing
LP | CD | mp3 | flac

MW002: Craig Pedersen – Solo Trumpet (2016)
7-inch | mp3 | flac

MW001: Sound of the Mountain – amplified clarinet & trumpet
LP | CD | mp3 | flac

About:

Mystery & Wonder is an independent label started in 2017.

Many of our releases focus on sound art, improvisation and compositional works that give attention to the musical possibilities inherent in combining or superimposing closely amplified elements with acoustic elements.  We are interested in work that takes care with sound and timbre, structure and form, is close, direct and in high-definition. But most off all, we are interested in work that defies our understanding of all this and moves us in ways we don’t expect, work that stands on its own.

We are lovers of the album as physical object. We custom cut the majority of our sleeves with high-quality paper using an industrial die-cut machine.  Our latest releases include some combination of obi strips, hand printed covers, scores, photographs, and liner notes. With the exception of a few, releases are hand-assembled.

We also actively organize concerts in Montreal and elsewhere.  You can read more about our events here.  To stay actively updated about our releases, concerts and tours, please consider signing our mailing list: http://eepurl.com/cMOzLr

We are grateful for the help of friends who have supported us and helped shape our work for the better: Mark Molnar, Bennett Bedoukian, Anne-F Jacques, Jon Crellin, Kiva Stimac, Suoni Per Il Popolo, The “Ritz” P.D.B, Thierry Amar, Laura Kavanaugh and Ian Birse, Martin Dupuis, and many, many others.