Rough Magic

roomful of teeth

rough magic

release date: May 5, 2023

Brooklyn, N.Y. — On May 5, 2023, GRAMMY-winning vocal band Roomful of Teeth — a “remarkable” (New York Times) “experimental group that is changing what it means to harmonize” (The New Yorker) and “gleefully dismantling the traditional definition of ensemble singing right before our ears” (NPR) — releases their long-awaited new album, Rough Magic.

The record, which features premiere recordings of four works created for and (significantly) with the group, is an explosive departure from their previous recordings, leading listeners into the beauty and boundaries of language while showcasing, once again, the band’s unwavering commitment to expanding the scope of vocal music. From high-gloss, 80s-style synth-charged passages to early Steve Reich tape-piece-type sounds, Rough Magic articulates a grand experience of language, its frailty, and its rapturous — if darkly mysterious — magic.

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• More about this project

  Roomful of Teeth is a GRAMMY-winning vocal band dedicated to reimagining the expressive potential of the human voice. By engaging collaboratively with artists, thinkers, and community leaders from around the world, the group seeks to uplift and amplify voices old and new while creating and performing meaningful and adventurous music.

  Founded in 2009 by Brad Wells, the band was incubated at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) in North Adams, Massachusetts, where members studied with some of the world’s most extraordinary singers and teachers. Through experimentation, exploration, and plenty of failure, the group learned that the boundaries of the human voice are never what they seem, that rules can be bent, even broken, and perhaps they should be.

  Through their unique collaborative process, Roomful of Teeth has worked with many of today’s most compelling musical creators to build a significant and continuously growing repertoire. They have collaborated with a wide range of artists and ensembles spanning genres and art forms.

  As the world rapidly changes, Roomful of Teeth is cultivating deeper relationships with technology, continuing to expand the capabilities of the human voice, aiming to be unburdened by physical limitations. They are excited about new collaborative projects that are focused on the stories of place, home, and community in the diverse environments our planet has provided. They explore these boundaries with passionate curiosity, contagious enthusiasm, and deep gratitude.

• Credits and Track List

  Roomful of Teeth:

  Estelí Gomez

  Martha Cluver

  Caroline Shaw

  Eliza Bagg

  Virginia Kelsey

  Eric Dudley

  Thann Scoggin

  Dashon Burton

  Cameron Beauchamp

  Brad Wells, Founder and Co-Artistic Director

  Cameron Beauchamp, Co-Artistic Director

  Album Art by Jon Verney

  Recorded at Studio9, MASS MoCA and The Hive

  Mixed at The Hive

  Recording Engineer - Randall L. Squires

  Mixing Engineer - Zach Hanson

  Mastered by Randall L. Squires

  Produced by William Brittelle

  Additional production by Brad Wells and Cameron Beauchamp

  Editing - Randall Squires

  Synths - Eric Dudley, William Brittelle

  Psychedelics - composed by William Brittelle

  I. Deep Blue (You Beat Me)

  II. I am the Watchtower

  III. My Apothecary Light

  None More Than You - composed by Eve Beglarian

  (feat. Eve Beglarian and The Dessoff Choirs, Malcolm J Merriweather, conductor)

  The Isle - composed by Caroline Shaw

  I. Prologue

  II. Ariel

  III. Caliban

  IV. Prospero

  V. Epilogue

  Bits torn from words - composed by Peter S. Shin

  I. Reach across oceans (intro)

  II. I’m terrible at making decisions (refrain)

  III. Notice how your body spreads like water (post-refrain)

  IV. GaNaDaRaMaBaSa AJaChaKaTaPaHa (bridge)

  VI. If __________ did happen, how bad would it be? (outro)

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