Criticism
Through the Darkness
Cork house music duo Fish Go Deep have recently released a new album, 'This Bit of Earth'. Don O'Mahony reviews.
A Modern Tour of Ancient Music
The 25th Galway Early Music Festival took place on 21–23 May, featuring Enea Sorini and Peppe Frana, the Irish Consort and Siobhán Armstrong, Aisling Kenny, Róisín Elsafty, Resurgam and more. Brendan Finan reviews.
Exciting Scene Let Down by Stagnant Staging
Andrea Cleary reviews 'Extraterrestrial' – an evening of music and spoken word at the National Concert Hall celebrating Black Irish artists.
A European Tour Under Lockdown
The Sligo International Chamber Music Festival took place online this year with four concerts and three new commissions from Irish composers. James Camien McGuiggan reviews.
Airs for an Ocean Under Duress
Máirtín O’Connor's new climate-emergency-inspired suite of music 'The Mighty Ocean' recently aired on TG4. Adrian Scahill reviews.
Is Music Timeless?
Presented as part of the MusicTown festival this year, 'A Weldon Kane Report – Joe Heaney Is a Time Traveller' explores the revelation that there exists a secret society of time-travelling Irish traditional musicians. James Camien McGuiggan reviews.
Music Worth Making
The 8th edition of New Music Dublin, Ireland's largest festival of contemporary music, took place on 23–26 April, this time online. With 33 world premieres and a weekend full of concerts, did it manage to maintain the momentum of recent years? Adrian Smith reviews.
A Festival of Different Futures
On 14–18 April, Louth Contemporary Music Society presented a five-day online festival featuring work by Sarah Hennies, Kevin Volans, Cornelius Cardew, Leo Brouwer and more. Brendan Finan reviews.
When We Think of a Loved One
Filmmaker and musician Myles O'Reilly has been releasing music under the title of [Indistinct Chatter] since shortly after the pandemic began. His third record of ambient electronica, 'My Mother's Star' was released last month. Don O'Mahony reviews.
Voices So Close
In the summer of 2019, David Balfe released his debut album 'For Those I Love' for a brief period before it disappeared from streaming services. After months of hype, it was finally released in March of this year. Andrea Cleary reviews.