Contemporary compositions for solo percussion are not exactly commonplace, neither in academic contemporary music nor in free jazz, improvisation or DIY experimental contexts somewhere in between. Canadian snare virtuoso Ryan Scott, a friend and occasional collaborator of the Canadian string quartet Quatuor Bozzini, consequently gathers the compositions on 21st-Century Canadian Snare Drum (Collection QB, 13 February) from all corners of the scene and beyond. The often central, but not always dominant, instrument is a military-style snare drum, from which Scott has, however, banished all martial elements. It is impressive what works here, and interesting what does not — and what a wealth of timbre can be drawn from purely percussive sounds.

The baritone saxophone and viola form the foundation from which Ida Toninato & Jennifer Thiessen let their sounds flow out into the open, where the electric crackle of sonic freedom weaves itself into songs and structures. On their second collaboration, Dream of Heat (Ambiances Magnétiques, 13 February), the Franco-Canadian musicians weave the most delicate, melancholic sounds—spanning freak folk, post-rock and free noise—into fragile, one-off pieces, none of which resemble one another, yet which together form a wonderful whole of intimate beauty. The perfect winter album for the warm days ahead, for the budding hope that things will get better, that renewal and life are real.

Anxiety and relaxation go hand in hand in these three works, which are very different from one another but share clear points of connection. Maya Shenfeld, for example, for the soundtrack to the Netflix film Cover-Up (Thrill Jockey), worked in analogue on modular systems, using loops of guitars, organ, brass and strings processed on tape to achieve a sound that envelops the listener whilst keeping them in a state of perpetual tension. A tension that is also palpable in Dream of Heat (Ambiances Magnétique), the new album by Toninato & Thiessen, which emerged during lockdown from a series of compositions for instruments such as the viola, viola d’amore and baritone saxophone, to which electronic elements, various effects, field recordings and ancestral vocals were added. Beautiful.

The acclaimed Toronto-based percussionist Ryan Scott is set to release his upcoming album, 21st-Century Canadian Snare Drum, which features a wealth of diverse approaches and composers. An album presenting an extraordinarily varied set, featuring electronics, extended techniques and auxiliary instrumentation. Spanning everything from Nicole Lizée’s reference-rich electroacoustics to Anna Höstman’s delicate eccentricity, from Bekah Simms’s deep textural explorations to Michael Oesterle’s rhythmic puzzles, the 14 commissioned tracks also include contributions from Andrew Staniland, Emilie Cecilia LeBel, Amy Brandon, Monica Pearce and others, each offering a unique perspective on the instrumentation chosen by Scott.

Québecois, Montréal-based double bass player and composer Hugo Blouin has an insightful, ironic perspective on life in the supposedly calm and extremely polite Canada, as already expressed in his previous albums — Charbonneau ou les valeurs à’ bonne place, dedicated to the scandals in Québec’s construction industry and Sport national, dedicated to Canada’s national sport, ice hockey (Multiple Chord Music, 2022 and 2023).

On Le buffet, Blouin shares his own and his friends’ insights on their favourite recipes and childhood food memories, packed into a cycle of ten extravagant, funny, and intimate songs. These songs were cooked up with world-class chefs like drummer John Hollenbeck, lead vocalists Eugénie Jobin Tremblay and Marion Rampal, pianist Marianne Trudel, and lyricists Blanche Baillargeon, Robin Servant, and Olivier Therriault. The cover photo of a third chicken is by Viennese photographer Klaus Pichler.

These witty, delicious, and nourishing story-like songs (all sung in French, but the album’s booklet offers an English translation) remind us that we all need «a lot of good faith, a little time, and a great big smile» when preparing the perfect tomato soup (as seen in the attached video), reveal the recipe for a good, decadent Caesar salad, and discuss the desire for a tasty butter and chocolate baguette, among other culinary delights. The irresistible and seductive, swinging-funky grooves charge and complement food’s sensual pleasures and deserve a Michelin star of their own. Le buffet, no doubt, will charge your hunger, send us all to the kitchen, and inspire us to resume our own culinary journeys.