Liner Notes

All Liner Notes

Silvia Tarozzi, Lucciole: Lyrics & Translations

April 7, 2026

The complete lyrics to Silvia Tarozzi's Lucciole, in the original Italian with English translations. Read more...

Studio photograph from the Gimik sessions related to the music of John McGuire

As If It Were Already Playing: Interviews with Bernd Härpfer, Axel Lindner and John McGuire

February 25, 2026

Tim Rutherford-Johnson interviews composer John McGuire, conductor Axel Lindner, and producer Bernd Härpfer on the making of McGuire's double string trio trilogy and the art of jumping into music that... Read more...

John McGuire: Music for Double String Trio

February 24, 2026

Tim Rutherford-Johnson's liner notes trace how John McGuire's singular aesthetic transforms when translated into three recent works for double string trio, where the "fuzziness" of live musicians opens up his... Read more...

Peter Gordon performing, from the sessions for Real Life and The Movies

"Real Life and The Movies: Volume 1" Liner Notes by "Blue" Gene Tyranny

June 8, 2024

"Blue" Gene Tyranny's own notes on Real Life and The Movies: Volume 1 — piece by piece, from imaginary film themes to music for everyday scenes. Read more...

Drawing by Dave Shulman for the album Lips

"Lips" Liner Notes by Tim Rutherford-Johnson

May 5, 2024

Tim Rutherford-Johnson on Daniel Lentz's Lips, and how the landscape, cultures, and sounds of the American Southwest run through his music. Read more...

Handwritten musical score page from Vanishing Points by John McGuire

“Vanishing Points / A Cappella” Liner Notes by Tim Rutherford Johnson and John McGuire

September 21, 2023

Tim Rutherford-Johnson and John McGuire on Vanishing Points and A Cappella, where McGuire's pulse music expands to orchestral and vocal scale. Read more...

“My Strong Will” Liner Notes by Girma Yifrashewa

September 1, 2023

Girma Yifrashewa describes the histories and inspiration behind the music of My Strong Will. Read more...

Carl Stone photographed by Ayeroff, circa 1973

Notes on Carl Stone "Electronic Music from 1972-2022"

August 4, 2023

Contributions from Jace Clayton, Ed McKeon, and Carl Stone Read more...

Costume design page from Daytime Viewing by Peter Gordon

Daytime Viewing Lyrics

June 8, 2023

Lyrics by Jacqueline Humbert, plus David Rosenboom's photos of Humbert in her own costume creations for Daytime Viewing live performances. Read more...

Euphoric Variations

January 14, 2023

Notes on Katrina Krimsky’s 1980 by David Rosenboom Read more...

Storyboard for Having Been Built on Sand by Dickie Landry and Lawrence Weiner

Dickie Landry & Lawrence Weiner, "Having Been Built on Sand", Liner notes by Clifford Allen

October 6, 2022

Clifford Allen on Having Been Built on Sand, the collaboration between saxophonist Dickie Landry and conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner. Read more...

Dickie Landry during a recording session for Requiem

Dickie Landry, "4 Cuts from 'A First Quarter'”, Liner notes by Clifford Allen

October 6, 2022

At some point he was working on A First Quarter and wanted me to do the music. I said ‘I already have the music.’ He said ‘what do you mean?’... Read more...

Dickie Landry performing solo, photograph by Leo Solos

Dickie Landry “Solos”, Liner notes by Clifford Allen

October 6, 2022

On February 19, 1972, a crew of mostly Louisiana-raised musicians came together at the Leo Castelli Gallery on West Broadway in Soho to perform a wholly improvised concert. Read more...

Cicada Lite

July 29, 2022

Video by Marcella Cytrynowicz Read more...

Inside illustration from Canti di guerra, di lavoro e d'amore by Silvia Tarozzi and Deborah Walker

Silvia Tarozzi & Deborah Walker "Canti di guerra, di lavoro e d'amore", Notes, Lyrics and Translations

June 10, 2022

Silvia Tarozzi and Deborah Walker share context and translations for lyrics. Read more...

Archival photograph related to Pulse Music by John McGuire

John McGuire "Pulse Music", Liner notes and Interview

February 10, 2022

Tim Rutherford-Johnson interviews John McGuire about his Pulse Music series and Paul V. Miller discusses its unique place in musical history. Read more...

"The Plains at Gordium", Notes by Petr Kotik

September 3, 2021

"In the summer of 2004, many issues I was facing seemed mysterious and unsolvable." Read more...

"Blue" Gene Tyranny performing at Beethoven Aether, March 1976

"Degrees of Freedom Found", Notes by "Blue" Gene Tyranny

June 18, 2021

"This box set is dedicated to my friend, Jonathan Doff, who has kept me thoughtful and light–hearted all these years." Read more...

Score page from See the Welter by James Rushford

"See the Welter", Score and Notes by James Rushford

October 16, 2020

The seven pages of See The Welter in score form, with notes by the composer. Read more...

Artwork related to Federico Mompou: Música Callada and James Rushford: See the Welter

Federico Mompou: Música Callada / James Rushford: See the Welter, Liner Notes by Tim-Rutherford Johnson and Michael Pisaro

October 16, 2020

"Music is written for the inexpressible, it should seem to come out of the shadow in order to move back into the shadow." - Federico Mompou Read more...

Silvia Tarozzi "Mi specchio e rifletto", Lyrics and Translations

September 23, 2020

Silvia Tarozzi reveals the history of her breakthrough solo album, Mi specchio e rifletto, and provides lyrics and English translations. Read more...

Leo Takami interviewed by Yuzo Sakuramoto

February 27, 2020

Leo Takami discusses his musical roots with Yuzo Sakuramoto. Read more...

Dandelions with stem, photograph for Moments by Michael Vincent Waller

Michael Vincent Waller "Moments", Liner Notes by Tim Rutherford-Johnson and "Blue" Gene Tyranny

October 4, 2019

Tim Rutherford-Johnson and "Blue" Gene Tyranny listen to the attack and decay of the piano in Michael Vincent Waller's Moments. Read more...

"Himalaya", Notes by Carl Stone

September 20, 2019

Carl Stone provides background on the pieces for "Himalaya" Read more...

“Blue” Gene Tyranny with Trust in Rock flyer designed by Phil Harmonic. Photo: Pat Kelley

"Trust in Rock", An Interview with "Blue" Gene Tyranny and Peter Gordon by Ned Sublette

April 21, 2019

42 years after Trust in Rock, we got together in February 2018 to talk about it. Read more...

Leo Svirsky "River Without Banks", Notes by Antoine Beuger

November 1, 2018

Composer Antoine Beuger's meditation on Leo Svirsky's River Without Banks — music as endless beginning, dissolving and re-forming like water. Read more...

EXTREEMIZMS Graphic Scores

October 12, 2018

Extremes are Extreme, Extremely. Read more...

"EXTREEMIZMS", Notes by Philip Corner, Silvia Tarozzi & Deborah Walker

October 12, 2018

"Do you know there’s an American composer who lives here in Reggio Emilia? He knew John Cage. His name is Philip Corner." Read more...

Archival photograph of Carl Stone for Electronic Music from the Eighties and Nineties

Carl Stone "Electronic Music from the Eighties and Nineties", Notes by Carl Stone, Robin Rimbaud, Tim Rutherford-Johnson

July 13, 2018

The four pieces by Carl Stone on this recording span a remarkable period in the history of music technology. Read more...

J. Jasmine performing at My New Music event

A History of "J. Jasmine: My New Music" by Ted Gordon

March 2, 2018

One might ask of J Jasmine: My New Music: what are you? Actually, not what—which? Which style? Which format? Which history? Which narrative? Which music? Read more...

Back cover artwork for FRÜHE JAHRE by C-Schulz

C-Schulz "FRÜHE JAHRE", Notes by Marcus Schmickler

August 18, 2017

Marcus Schmickler recalls his history producing 10. Hose Horn with C-Schulz and the Cologne scene from which it sprung. Read more...

Carl Stone "Electronic Music from the Seventies and Eighties", Notes by Carl Stone, Jonathan Gold, Richard Gehr, and Marc Weidenbaum

September 30, 2016

Jonathan Gold, Richard Gehr, and Marc Weidenbaum weigh in alongside Carl Stone on the history behind Stone's 1970s and 80s. Read more...

Score excerpt from Satie Slowly by Philip Corner

A Verbose Adjunct to "Satie Slowly", by Philip Corner

September 30, 2014

Information made explicit (words) must be checked against the scores, revealing formal essences. Read more...

Photograph from Ethiopia for Love and Peace by Girma Yifrashewa

"Love & Peace", Notes by Girma Yifrashewa

July 29, 2014

Girma Yifrashewa offers notes on the pieces he performs on "Love & Peace" in both Amharic and English. Read more...

Cloud photograph for Three Solo Pieces by Lubomyr Melnyk

"Three Solo Pieces", Notes by Lubomyr Melnyk

November 19, 2013

Lubomyr Melnyk's own notes on the three works of Three Solo Pieces, and the essential character of his continuous piano music. Read more...

Laurie Spiegel in her studio, photograph by Emmanuel Ghent

"The Expanding Universe", Notes by Laurie Spiegel

September 18, 2012

Includes full text of her self-interview, featured within the original artwork. Read more...

Illustration from Il bestiario by Maria Monti

Maria Monti "Il bestiario", Lyrics and Translations

March 1, 2012

Andrea Cernotto provides transcriptions and translations of the lyrics by Aldo Braibanti. Read more...

Photograph from Detours by "Blue" Gene Tyranny

"Detours", Liner notes by "Blue" Gene Tyranny

August 19, 2011

"Blue" Gene Tyranny describes the inner-life and backgrounds behind the pieces on "Detours". Read more...

Dickie Landry playing alto flute, photograph by Gorgoni

Dickie Landry – Having Been Built on Sound, by Clifford Allen

December 1, 2010

Clifford Allen connects the dots between Dickie Landry's fusion of high art and sound. Read more...

Elodie Lauten "Piano Works Revisited", Notes by John Schaefer and Elodie Lauten

March 10, 2010

WNYC's New Sounds host, John Schaefer, revisits his relationship to the piano music of Elodie Lauten, and Elodie Lauten provides her own extensive notes. Read more...