MAKING computers coexist in harmony with acoustic instruments in a live setting is more easily imagined than achieved. But Christopher Tignor, a young composer and performer shaped as much by his work in downtown nightclubs as by his formal education....proves that it can be done. Using custom-designed software and a MIDI keyboard Mr. Tignor samples and manipulates sounds... adding new strands within the diaphanous webs he composed for it while cutting loose its acoustic moorings. – The New York Times
Tignor's beguiling compositions move seamlessly through several stages of development, often ending up somewhere distant from where they appeared to be headed at the outset. - The Wire Magazine
...imagine a dream collaboration between Philip Glass, Miles Davis, Cluster, and Battles... – Foxy Digitalis
For nearly thirteen years Christopher Tignor lived in the 3-story commercial space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn where he conceived and practiced with his band Slow Six. In 2008, thanks to a tipped off fire marshal, a move was inevitable, and the walls had to come down. Drastic measures would be necessary in order to keep making music on his own terms - living completely immersed in his studio and practice space. Step one was relocating to the Mott Haven neighborhood of The Bronx. Far removed from an overwhelming hipster scene he had never connected with, he found himself surrounded by the working-class grit and intensity typically associated with The South Bronx. The new musical landscape Wires Under Tension creates uncannily echoes this transition.
Charged with the desolation of a Mad Max dystopia, the songs on Wires Under Tension's debut Light Science form a narrative in motion from lightness to darkness. The band's name reflects the duo's ongoing struggle to balance this tension as they wrestle with an unpredictable and unforgiving machine of their own making. Wordless voices of the horns and violin feel like lightning riding a stormy sea of drums and drones. That lightning illuminates the duo's muscular rhythms, formidable dynamic, and unique musicianship. As they beckon us into their storm, they seem to effortlessly sidestep the cliches found in much of today's instrumental music, delivering exciting and mysterious gems from their unique netherworld.
* Light Science will be available digitally through all major retail outlets December 7th
Light Science Track List
1. Electricity Turns Them On
2. Irreversible Machines
3. A List of Things To Light on Fire
4. Wood, Metal, Bone
5. Position and Hold
6. Mnemonics in Motion
7. Сказал, Сказала
Wires Under Tension Live Dates Coming Soon!
For more information, visit:
www.wiresundertension.com
www.westernvinyl.com
