Comfortably one of our favourite labels in existence, Bedroom Community has been ploughing a singular and fascinating furrow since its formation in 2006. The latest album to emerge from the Icelandic stable is Nadia Sirota’s Baroque, a collection of six tracks which count Sirota’s label-mates Nico Muhly, Paul Corley and Daniel Bjarnason among their composers.
While not exactly misleading, the album’s name doesn’t begin to cover the wide range of themes explored in its 53 minutes, with baroque flourishes sitting alongside neo-classical motifs and electronic soundscapes.
At its heart lies Sirota’s viola; whether in the skittering Fratres-esque mood of Tristan da Cunha or in the thrilling near arrhythmia of Etude 3, her playing is at once engrossing and intricate, doing sublime justice to her tailor made scores.
Image is by Chris Thomson
