Floex, Jan Šikl

Celebrated Czech musicians Floex & Jan Šikl present Directors, a collaborative album exploring neoclassical composition, electronic experimentation and chamber ensemble performance. Across four movements, Directors reveals a musical language where classical formality and electronic spontaneity exist as equal voices due out on via Minority Records. The dream of melding classical music with contemporary music, electronic in particular has been a cherished if not always successful one – it is as if the protocols of classical music, its formality, its strict adherence to composition, conduction make it difficult to meld with the more spontaneous messthetics and “inauthenticity” of sound manipulation of current approaches.

Labels such as Nonclassical have made great efforts to breach these insuperable barriers but the wonderful 'Directors', by Floex and Jan Šikl is among the most successful meldings to date. Here, wishful dreams become an organic reality, as a chamber ensemble, featuring violins, viola, violoncello, clarinets and vibraphone are subject to interventions redolent of clubland, which they take on board without missing a beat.