Experimental saxophonist Heli Hartikainen has dropped their phenomenal new composition, ‘Excerpt on II & III’. It’s a true musical experience, as an immersive sonic world of ambience and experimentalism blends with an array of influences. At the heart of the piece is a complex recording set-up, designed to capture every possible detail, from the ‘microphone tree’ consisting of eight condenser mics used to record the saxophone in 360 degrees, to the electromagnetic actuator loudspeakers attached to metal objects scattered throughout the Medieval Nousiainen Church in western Finland, where the single and album were recorded. “From the start it was clear to me that this work would not adhere to conventional ‘beats per minute’ patterns or traditional forms,” explains Heli. “I feel that my music doesn’t fit in those boxes; my music is horizontal, vertical and swirling, where the realms of conventional notation are meaningless.” Her boundary-pushing debut album, CHRONOVARIATIONS, drops on September 6th, 2024. -Dan Peeke