William Brittelle
Encyclopedia
William Brittelle is a composer and multi-instrumentalist devoted to bridging the gap between pop music and New York's downtown
classical scene, and a co-director of New Amsterdam Records
. He currently lives in Brooklyn.
, jazz pianist/arranger Mike Longo
, and Richard Lloyd
of Television
fame, who produced the sole album for Brittelle's post-punk project The Blondes. This immersion in jazz, classical, and rock music has allowed Brittelle to create experimental and "conceptually complex" classically notated compositions that borrow extensively from popular and jazz vernaculars, subsequently challenging notions of high and low art.
Brittelle is also a passionate advocate for the arts in New York City, and is a co-director of New Amsterdam Records
alongside Judd Greenstein
and Sarah Kirkland Snider
.
to create his debut solo album, Mohair Time Warp, described as "a frenetic melance of spastic rhythms, elegant orchestrations... [like] pop singles cut up and reassmbled Dada style". Performances of the music featured Brittelle lip-synching prerecorded vocal tracks in an effort to cope with his impairment.
Brittelle is best known for his project Television Landscape (New Amsterdam
, 2010), which was the subject of a profile in The New York Times. The "maximalist" album synthesizes all of Brittelle's disparate musical influences often within a single song, ranging from French late-romantic/impressionistic string writing of Faure
and Debussy to music from Brittelle's youth, like Pink Floyd
, Prince
, and Def Leppard
. While the album is filled with popular music signifiers including anthemic guitar solos and an appearance of the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Brittelle's classical background is demonstrated in each composition's precise notation, the "dense interwoven soundscapes," "complex orchestrations" and "mind-bending arrangements." Critics have tended to emphasize the conspicuously divergent musical strains present in the album with statements such as "you might wonder if Jane's Addiction
had discovered the soul of Debussy" and "it sounds like Todd Rundgren
, Ariel Pink
, and Owen Pallett
trying to make American Idiot
."
Brittelle is currently working on a project entitled Future Shock-- a series of electroacoustic chamber pieces composed for members of ACME and yMusic, which according to New Amsterdam Presents, "juxtaposes the energy and sonic language of pop drum and synth programming with classical forms and instrumentation."
Downtown music
Downtown music is a subdivision of American music, closely related to experimental music. The scene the term describes began in 1960, when Yoko Ono—one of the Fluxus artists, at that time still seven years away from meeting John Lennon—opened her loft at 112 Chambers Street to be used...
classical scene, and a co-director of New Amsterdam Records
New Amsterdam Records
New Amsterdam Records is a New York City based record label. It was formed in 2008 by Judd Greenstein, Sarah Kirkland Snider, and William Brittelle to promote classically-trained musicians who fall in between traditional genre boundaries. Often abbreviated as NewAm, the organization has been hailed...
. He currently lives in Brooklyn.
Biography
William Brittelle was raised in a small town in North Carolina where he began his classical piano education at an early age. He received his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and, discontented with academia's artistic restrictiveness, dropped out of a graduate composition program at the CUNY Graduate Center. Outside of the university, Brittelle took responsibility for his own musical education by pursuing studies with composer David Del TrediciDavid Del Tredici
David Del Tredici, born March 16, 1937 in Cloverdale, California, is an American composer. According to Del Tredici's website, Aaron Copland said David Del Tredici "is that rare find among composers — a creator with a truly original gift...
, jazz pianist/arranger Mike Longo
Mike Longo
Michael Josef "Mike" Longo is a jazz pianist, composer, and author. He is most known for his work with Dizzy Gillespie.-Early life:...
, and Richard Lloyd
Richard Lloyd
Richard Lloyd is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the rock band Television.- Early life :...
of Television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
fame, who produced the sole album for Brittelle's post-punk project The Blondes. This immersion in jazz, classical, and rock music has allowed Brittelle to create experimental and "conceptually complex" classically notated compositions that borrow extensively from popular and jazz vernaculars, subsequently challenging notions of high and low art.
Brittelle is also a passionate advocate for the arts in New York City, and is a co-director of New Amsterdam Records
New Amsterdam Records
New Amsterdam Records is a New York City based record label. It was formed in 2008 by Judd Greenstein, Sarah Kirkland Snider, and William Brittelle to promote classically-trained musicians who fall in between traditional genre boundaries. Often abbreviated as NewAm, the organization has been hailed...
alongside Judd Greenstein
Judd Greenstein
Judd Greenstein is an American composer of beat-driven contemporary classical music, and an avid promoter of new music in New York City. He is also a co-director of New Amsterdam Records.-Life and career:Judd Greenstein was born and raised in Manhattan...
and Sarah Kirkland Snider
Sarah Kirkland Snider
Sarah Kirkland Snider is a composer of art songs that straddle the border "between richly orchestrated indie rock and straight chamber music," and a co-director of New Amsterdam Records.-Life and career:...
.
Works
Following a severe vocal injury while performing with The Blondes at an after-party for The Fall, Brittelle received an emerging composer grant from the American Composers ForumAmerican Composers Forum
The American Composers Forum is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the promotion and assistance of American composers and their music. It was founded in 1973 as the Minnesota Composers Forum and is based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States...
to create his debut solo album, Mohair Time Warp, described as "a frenetic melance of spastic rhythms, elegant orchestrations... [like] pop singles cut up and reassmbled Dada style". Performances of the music featured Brittelle lip-synching prerecorded vocal tracks in an effort to cope with his impairment.
Brittelle is best known for his project Television Landscape (New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam Records
New Amsterdam Records is a New York City based record label. It was formed in 2008 by Judd Greenstein, Sarah Kirkland Snider, and William Brittelle to promote classically-trained musicians who fall in between traditional genre boundaries. Often abbreviated as NewAm, the organization has been hailed...
, 2010), which was the subject of a profile in The New York Times. The "maximalist" album synthesizes all of Brittelle's disparate musical influences often within a single song, ranging from French late-romantic/impressionistic string writing of Faure
Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Urbain Fauré was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th century composers...
and Debussy to music from Brittelle's youth, like Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, and Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
. While the album is filled with popular music signifiers including anthemic guitar solos and an appearance of the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Brittelle's classical background is demonstrated in each composition's precise notation, the "dense interwoven soundscapes," "complex orchestrations" and "mind-bending arrangements." Critics have tended to emphasize the conspicuously divergent musical strains present in the album with statements such as "you might wonder if Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
had discovered the soul of Debussy" and "it sounds like Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
, Ariel Pink
Ariel Pink
Ariel Pink is a Los Angeles-based recording artist who is sometimes associated with the freak folk scene.-Biography:...
, and Owen Pallett
Owen Pallett
Michael James Owen Pallett is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist from Toronto, Ontario. He won the 2006 Polaris Music Prize for the album He Poos Clouds....
trying to make American Idiot
American Idiot
American Idiot is the seventh studio album by the American punk rock band Green Day. It was released on September 21, 2004 through Reprise Records and was produced by longtime collaborator Rob Cavallo. In mid-2003, the band began recording songs for an album entitled Cigarettes and Valentines...
."
Brittelle is currently working on a project entitled Future Shock-- a series of electroacoustic chamber pieces composed for members of ACME and yMusic, which according to New Amsterdam Presents, "juxtaposes the energy and sonic language of pop drum and synth programming with classical forms and instrumentation."