Lia Kohl is a composer and sound artist based in Chicago. Her wide-ranging practice includes composition and performance, installation, improvisation, and collaboration. Her work centers curiosity and patience, an exploration of the mundane and profound possibilities of sound.
Hey, I’m Lia Kohl, I’m a composer and sound artist based in Chicago, but I’m currently in Finland. I’m so excited to share this playlist with you, it’s a bunch of music that has inspired me this year and one track that I made with Whitney Johnson and Macie Stewart. Hope you enjoy!
“Maya” by Alain Peters
This track gets (joyfully) stuck in my head a lot. I love the doubled whistling and synthesizer – there’s something incredibly touching and human about it.
“Akazéhé Par Deux Jeunes Filles” (Salutation Sung by Two Young Girls)
This whole collection of music from Burundi is incredible, but I’m especially blown away by the vocal techniques on this one. It’s such a simple and repetitive melody, but the layering and hocketing of voices, and the beautiful percussive quality of their breathing is so complex.
“Nordalfells/Førespel/Springleik etter Olav Asmundstad” by Egil Kalmen
I love when musicians find ways to incorporate or expand upon traditional music forms. On Nordafells, Egil Kalman is playing Norwegian traditional music on the modular synthesizer, which I think works beautifully. I’ve been listening to this album on repeat this year since I discovered it through some Swedish friends.
“Concord West” by FRANKIE & Battle-ax
This bite-sized track feels like entering a small hole into a cathedral or cave: a tiny, epic world. To me, their viola and cello combine into a single gamba-like baroque instrument, and all the layers are both disorienting and soothing.
“Mimoun Marhaba” by Maalem Mahmoud Guinia, James Holden, and Floating Points
Again, so cool when musicians blend traditional and new forms. I think the rhythmic interaction here is so perfect. Great driving music!
“dawn|pulse” by Whitney Johnson, Lia Kohl, and Macie Stewart
I released this record with Whitney Johnson and Macie Stewart earlier this year and particularly love this track. We’re improvising with voices and violin/viola/cello, and also manipulating the recording with a (slightly broken) tape machine, which gives the wobbly quality and also the sub-bass – my cello at half speed!
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