Album Notes

Todd Reynolds - EP

At six years of age, William Reynolds used to get his son up at 4:30 in the morning to practice, just like his father had gotten him up at 4:30 in the morning to milk cows. Bleary-eyed, he'd sit on the couch while Todd busted his hump on scales and twinkle twinkle variations that are the staple of kid-dom in violin land.

Fast forward and the twinkles turn into concertos, then to savagely modern classical music, then to jazz and rock and roll and finally to his own music, a hybrid of electronically induced ambience and acoustic sound landing somewhere squarely between Bartok and Bjork.

The violinist of choice for composers like Steve Reich, Tan Dun and Bang on a Can, colleague to Yo-Yo Ma and Kenny Werner, sideman to Broadway stars Betty Buckley and Bernadette Peters, student of the late Jascha Heifetz and a founding member of a string quartet (Ethel) which turned the concert music world on its ear, Reynolds is now transitioning to a solo career with a laptop computer as his new band, all at once composer, bandleader and electronica artist.

The release of this EP coincides with his second tour opening for Indie-sensation The Books, and is a prelude to what's in store on his upcoming full release. One of the first 'classical' musicians to 'brew his own' from start to finish, Reynolds takes on the composition, production, playing and mastering in this first release himself.

Reynolds' compositions infuse electronics with a humanity and authenticity not often found in electronica. His work parallels his life; Outerborough about his love of urban existence, Icy Sleeves of Green about his parent's acceptance, finally, of his decision to leave the conservative classical fold, Splash, wedding music for a fellow artist's wedding; a ritual involving stones thrown into an otherwise peaceful pond.

Please have a listen!