Selected press quotes
Compositions:
on Dynamics of Vanishing Bodies
"challenging...and massive in its impact" – 2018, Richard Storm (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)
"Guitar wizard Brendon Randall-Myers…manages to push DITHER toward another state of being, transcendent of the name and beyond the implication of their instruments." – 2017, Christian Kriegeskotte (I Care If You Listen)
“Dither, the electric guitar quartet, holds the volume record for its vigorous account of Brendon Randall-Myers’s “Dynamics of Vanishing Bodies,” a thoughtfully organized exploration of electric guitar sound, from eerie, artificial harmonics and the creative use of feedback, to insistent, full-ensemble pounding on a single, heavily distorted chord…Dither gave the piece a shapely reading that illuminated the structural clarity behind the raw noise” - Allan Kozinn (Wall Street Journal)
“despite all the ringing sounds, and the odd tunings, there is a clarity and momentum here that is Randall-Myers’ own.” — 2020, John Shaefer (New Sounds)
“a wall of noise, intricate and varied, an exploration of the physicality of sound and how music is processed by the brain.” – 2019, Jeremy Reynolds (San Francisco Classical Voice)
"[a] whirlwind of raw, reverberating noise" – 2019, Zoë Madonna (Boston Globe)
on other pieces:
"Juiced, a fiercely aggressive but endlessly compelling work by Brendon Randall-Myers, was the best showcase for the quartet’s skills." – 2014, Joshua Kosman (San Francisco Chronicle) on Friction Quartet’s performance of Juiced
"intricate and dynamic, brimming with syncopated escapades and polyrhythmic palpitations...like a good run, it leaves us with a feeling of elation." – 2017, Tristan McKay (I Care if You Listen), on Bearthoven's recording of Simple Machine
"a compositional tour de force to which the Mobius responded with a ferocious virtuosity." – 2014, Scott Cmiel (San Francisco Classical Voice), on Mobius Trio’s performance of Making Good Choices
With Invisible Anatomy:
"With a fusion of styles and compelling texts, Dissections tackles the questions it poses about emotional intimacy in diverse, impactful ways. It’s a hauntingly beautiful, thought-provoking examination of the ways we interact, and the ways in which we harm and help those we care about most." - 2018, Gabriela Tedeschi (Second Inversion), on Dissections
“sometimes haunting sometimes hilarious and consistently mesmerizing” – 2017, Christian Kriegeskotte (I Care If You Listen), on Transfigure
“a flight of musical follies touching down briefly amidst austere harmonic totems, absurdist cowboy music, and vaudevillian settings of warning labels... work that reeks of form, structure, and development.” – 2016, Mike Compitello (New Music Box), on Transfigure
"otherworldly and uncanny" – 2016, Zoe Beery, Village Voice, on Dissections
With Marateck:
“my favorite math rock album of 2017...Time is Over is a superb album from start to finish, and brings all the fury and complexity of 90’s era Don Caballero mixed with frantic angular riffs ala Shellac and Lynx while allowing tinges of metal, classical, and jazz to glisten through...watching them play these intensely complicated songs...with ease and enjoyment just blew me away. – 2017, William Covert (Circuit Sweet), on Time is Over
“a gripping math-rock band, combining shattered, wiry abstraction with moments of delicate atmosphere…manages to wring out everything that its guitar-bass-drums instrumentation (traditionally) has to offer, while still remaining focused and direct.” – 2017, Scott Gordon and Emili Earhart (Tone Madison), on Marateck’s debut record Time is Over
"ingeniously integrate[s] polyrhythmics and polymetrics into often odd-time signature compositions...Time Is Over is an essential album for any fan of odd rock music." – 2017, Dæv Tremblay, Can This Even be Called Music? on Time is Over
Performances:
"a tour de force of collective concentration...propelled by sheer joy" – 2016, Helen Wallace, The Arts Desk, on Dither Big Band’s performance of Steve Reich’s Electric Counterpoint
“Conductor Brendon Randall-Myers adopted Branca’s signature wide-legged stance, cueing the ensemble with large and dramatic gestures, giving the audience a good show.” Connie Blaszczyk, Arts at MIT
“Conductor Brendon Randall-Myers gave a spirited interpretation of Branca’s work that could be measured in ounces of sweat.” Madison Bloom, Audiofemme
“Brendon Randall-Myers took the conducting reins, writhing, waving, mouthing screams, even pulling his hair. “If it doesn’t hurt, you’re not doing it right,” he turned and casually stated to the audience as he stretched during a pause.” Vanessa Ague, National Sawdust Log
Full list of press appearances
Weekly Music Roundup: Dither, Popcaan, and Songhoy Blues | John Shaefer | 08/10/2020
++ In Review: Glenn Branca Ensemble | National Sawdust Log | Vanessa Ague | 10/10/2019
++ Live Review: The Glenn Branca Ensemble @Saint Vitus | Audiofemme | Madison Bloom | 10/08/2019
++ MIT SOUNDING PRESENTS BOTH SIDES OF COMPOSER GLENN BRANCA | Arts at MIT | Connie Blaszczyk | 09/26/2019
I Hope You Enjoy It: Bang on a Can’s Inaugural LOUD Weekend | San Franscisco Classical Voice | Jeremy Reynolds | 08/12/2019
An Energetic New-Music Marathon | Wall Street Journal | Allan Kozinn | 08/09/2019
Bang on a Can turns up the volume with LOUD Weekend at Mass MoCA | Boston Globe | Zoë Madonna | 08/03/2019
* ALBUM REVIEW: Invisible Anatomy’s ‘Dissections’ | Second Inversion | Gabriela Tedeschi | 06/19/2018
* Invisible Anatomy: Dissections | textura | June 2018
+ Music Review: Dither gives a sense of future sounds in New Music concert | Sarasota Herald-Tribune | Richard Storm | 04/22/2018
Full Lineup and Schedule Announced For Bang on a Can Marathon at NYU Skirball | Broadway World | Music News Desk | 04/12/2018
* Track Premiere: Invisible Anatomy Performs Facial Polygraph XVIA by Fay Wang | I Care if You Listen | Amanda Cook | 03/22/2018
**RAD RELEASES ’17 – WILLIAM COVERT OF SPACE BLOOD | Circuit Sweet | William Covert | 12/29/2017
Bearthoven’s Debut Album Trios (Cantaloupe Music) | I Care if You Listen | Tristan McKay | 12/08/2017
MikeyPod 240: Piano Trio Bearthoven | Michael Harren | 09/18/2017
1Track Podcast S3E4: Brendon Randall-Myers | Anthony Joseph Lanman | 09/13/2017
**OTHERsound: Marateck, Space Blood, Rob Lundberg, Control | Emili Earhart | 08/26/2017
** Marateck - Time is Over | Can This Even Be Called Music? | Daev Tremblay | 07/12/2017
In Residence at Roulette: Brendon Randall-Myers Excels | I Care If You Listen | Christian Kriegeskotte | 07/12/2017
CDA's Best Classical Albums of 2017 (so far) | Classical Dark Arts | dubuquecello | 07/03/17
Best of Bandcamp Contemporary Classical: May/June 2017 | Bandcamp | Peter Margasak | May/June 2017
Album Review: Bearthoven's Trios | Second Inversion | Seth Tompkins | 05/29/17
"Transfigured Light" at end of the tunnel | Vancouver Observer | Lincoln Kaye | 05/19/2017
Bearthoven Take a Bite Out of the Accessible Side of the Avant Garde | New York Music Daily | delarue | 04/15/2017
+ Review: The Composer Tristan Perich’s Proudly Lo-Fi Electronic Sounds | New York Times | Anthony Tommasini | 03/19/2017
“first-rate performances” in A/B Duo’s Variety Show | Fanfare Magazine | Marc Medwin | Mar/Apr 2017
** EXCLUSIVE // Stream ‘Heart Failure’ from Marateck’s upcoming album ‘Time Is Over’ | William Colvert | Fecking Bahams | 02/13/2017
ALBUM REVIEW: Andy Meyerson’s “My Side of the Story” | Second Inversion | Seth Tompkins | 11/07/2016
+ Steve Reich at 80: cross-section of an iconic career | Bachtrack | Phil Barrett | 11/07/2016
+ Steve Reich at 80, Barbican | The Arts Desk | Helen Wallace | 11/06/2016
Madison calendar, October 27 through November 2 | Tone Madison | Emili Earhart | 10/26/2016
* SUMMER RESIDENCY SNAPSHOTS: THE COMPOSER / PERFORMER MIND MELD | New Music Box | Mike Compitello | 08/11/2016
* Incubating Culture: Yale Ensembles Expand New Music's Center | Music at Yale | Samantha Buker | Spring 2016
LIVE: The Bang On a Can All-Stars @ the Tang Museum, 2/18/16 | Nippertown | 02/29/2016
* The B Band interviews Invisible Anatomy | newclassic.la | Nick Norton | 02/6/2016
* DON'T STOP TALKING ABOUT IT; TALK ABOUT IT BETTER | Mutterings | Ted Hearne | 01/28/2016
* Vivid Sections: Invisible Anatomy Take a Bold Stance on Classical Performance | Village Voice | Zoe Beery | 01/26/2016
Omaha Symphony's 'Fresh Ink' tells stories with aural chaos | Todd von Kampen | 05/17/2015
+ Music in Review: Performances by Sasha Cooke, Escher String Quartet and Ensemble Signal | New York Times |
James R. Oestreich | 03/16/2015
Parallels converge and illuminate, as Bach meets Gordon at Miller Theatre | New York Classical Review | Kurt Gottschalk | 03/14/2015
Friction Quartet finds the potential of abrasiveness | San Francisco Chronicle | Joshua Kosman | 12/6/2014
Composers, Inc. Turns 30 Years with a !BAMM! | Daniel L Muñoz | 06/18/2014
2014/2015 First Music Commissions | 04/22/2014
2014 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards Announced | New Music Box | 03/31/2014
ASCAP Foundation Names Recipients of Morton Gould Young Composer Awards | 03/31/2014
Plugged/Unplugged: Mobius Trio at Outpost | Artificialist | Damjan Rakonjac | 03/15/2014
Kronos Quartet Premieres Mary Kouyoumdjian at Z Space | I CARE IF YOU LISTEN | Danny Clay | 03/13/2014
The Mobius Trio, Tuesdays at Monk Space | The Constance Gradual | Saul Alpert-Abrams | 03/14/2014
Grunge Meets Classical | The New Haven Independent | Lucy Gellman | 02/26/2014
Bang on a Can at Mass MoCA creates vibes, beats | The Berkshire Eagle | Jess Gamari | 07/23/2013
Sizzling Strings Honor Julian Bream | San Francisco Classical Voice | Scott Cmiel | 07/21/2013
Album review: “Last Light” by Mobius Trio | Wavecraft Project | Daniele Furlan | 06/27/2013
Hot Air Music Festival 2013 | SF Civic Center | Michael Strickland | 03/7/2013
Does It Smell Like Dance Party in Here? | The Loose Filter Project | Dustin Soiseth | 03/7/2013
Blueprint and Mobius Trio demo SF Conservatory Talent | New Music Box | Sidney Chen | 12/5/2012
Adam’s Nixon and New Music Excitement in California | New Music Box | Sidney Chen | 07/2/2012
Great Expectations: The Challenge of New Music in New Spaces | New Music Box | Dustin Soiseth | 03/16/2012
* with Invisible Anatomy
** with Marateck
+ with Dither
++ with Glenn Branca Ensemble