With Sound Pieces, Pauline Oliveros’ pioneering vision is brought vividly into focus by Apartment House. Recorded at Goldsmiths Music Studio between September 2022 and January 2023, the album features six of Oliveros’ compositions, the earliest, “Horse Sings from Cloud,” dating to 1975, while “Sound Piece” itself comes from 1998. The substantial "Tree/Peace," a seven-movement work for violin, cello, and piano, occupies over half the album’s runtime and provides the clearest structural anchor, even as it preserves the composer’s characteristic indeterminacy and space for creative interpretation.

Five of the works on Sound Pieces are text scores, placing trust in the ensemble’s collective imagination and discipline. Apartment House approaches this challenge with characteristic care, crafting musical worlds that remain true to Oliveros’ spirit while highlighting their own keen attention to texture and mood. The interpretations achieve a consistently immersive atmosphere, whether moving through delicately articulated gestures or slowly expanding silences. The interplay between musicians feels organic, revealing micro-details and expressive nuance without resorting to overt dramatics.

The album’s strength lies in the symbiotic link between composer and ensemble - even in Oliveros’ most minimal instructions, Apartment House locates musical depth and coherence, transforming every page and phrase into a compelling sonic exploration. Each track offers its own logic and character, but the performances persistently capture the joyful curiosity and openness central to Oliveros’ legacy. Sound Pieces stands as a testament to the transformative power of listening and collaboration, laying bare the lasting relevance of Oliveros’ ideas within contemporary experimental practice.