Ahead of the release of her kaleidoscopic new album Under the Sun, out February 23rd, Berlin composer Maya Shenfeld shares aching new single “Analemma.”
Shenfeld elaborates on her work with the Ritter Youthchoir conducted by Ann-Kristin Mayr, and composing the track: “During the rehearsals with the choir, we often worked on slow drones, which can be very challenging to sing, especially for 8-18-year-olds. It requires focus, intonation, and listening. During one of our sessions I realized they’d really love to have a melody to sing. I thought, why not a canon? So this piece started as a three voice vocal canon and evolved into a full electronic production with the synths. The meditative form of the canon connected, for me, with Analemma, a diagram showing the position of the sun in the sky, which takes a similar form to that of the eternity symbol. There’s a juxtaposition here between the heavy electronic processing, which could be the sound of a dystopian future or past, and the choir, which like in the Greek tragedy, could be the voice of a shared consciousness, and maybe a voice of a hopeful future.”
“Analemma” captures Under the Sun’s juxtaposition of mysticism and philosophy with the lived human experience. Here Shenfeld augments her prismic electroacoustic arrangements with the ethereal voices of the choir, recorded at St Matthew’s Church in Berlin. Opening with a solemn chorale, Shenfeld guides the melody in subtle evolutions, slowly weaving in soft pads and strafing electronics as the track ascends towards a transcendent, ecstatic peak. Its powerful use of the human voice draws attention to the physicality and emotional power of choral music, while also giving a nod to the sacred roots of such traditions and the power of sound to access higher states of being.
Under the Sun’s evocative title echoes the well-worn proverb “There’s nothing new under the sun” from Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) in the Old Testament, altered here to create a distance between the stoic philosophy it implies – the sense of futility and eternal return, and the possibility that this might actually not be the case in light of climate change and other looming challenges. Rather than take a nihilistic or fatalistic view of the future however, Under the Sun instead encourages us to explore and rethink how we relate to our environment and to each other, championing collaboration and community as a force for change. This thesis finds a concrete outlet in “Analemma,” highlighting Shenfeld’s work with the next generation of musicians.
Shenfeld will perform music from Under the Sun throughout 2023 and 2024, including a special album release show at Silent Green in Berlin. List of dates below, with more to be announced.
Maya Shenfeld upcoming tour dates:
Feb. 10 – Baden, CH – OOAM Festival (solo set)
Feb. 23 – Berlin, DE – Silent Green (Under the Sun album release show) ^ [tickets]
Mar. 2 – Graz, AT – Elevate Festival ^
