60x60 is a One-hour Music Extravaganza
Featuring One-minute Slices of New Music
"Carefully arranged... they are polished and cut rubies and diamonds, neatly packaged" - Classical Voice of North Carolina -
60 works by 60 artists, 60x60 offers something different every minute
The goal of 60x60 is to highlight the work of a great many composers. The project presents a cross-section of contemporary music, including the various styles, aesthetics and techniques being used by the composers of today. 60x60 is a circle of sound, the 60 pieces represent a slice of the contemporary music scene.
This compact disc adaptation of the 60x60 project is created for 3 different listening methods: The first is sequentially; each work is listened to in a designated order. The second is on random play, where there is no order. And the third is to listen to each work repeatedly for an extended period of time. Each method brings a different view and understanding to the composer's work and vision.
60x60 presents a cross-section of contemporary music, including the various styles, aesthetics and techniques being used by the composers of today.
This compact disc adaptation of the 60x60 project is created for 3 different listening methods: The first is sequentially; each work is listened to in a designated order. The second is on random play, where there is no order. And the third is to listen to each work repeatedly for an extended period of time. Each method brings a different view and understanding to the composer's work and vision.
60x60 combines grassroots ideology with cutting-edge methods of presentation and distribution. Each year the project grows in artistic and distributive scope. Achieving its initiative, the 60x60 promotes contemporary composition across the globe.
2007
"60x60 is an intriguing project that's put together annually by the collective Vox Novus. Its premise is disarmingly simple: composers are invited to submit works lasting 60 seconds or less, Vox Novus selects 60 compositions and releases them played back-to-back on CD. This release includes the winners from two years, 2006 and 2007. It's intriguing to hear how much the selection varies from year to year. The aesthetic of the two discs is so different that there must have been different panels of judges making the selections. In the 2006 compilation, given the variety of compositional possibilities, it's perhaps surprising that the works are more notable for their similarity than their diversity. Virtually all the composers sound like they felt compelled to cram as much sound and activity as possible into their 60 seconds, and the majority of the pieces have a manic quality. All but a few of the pieces are electro-acoustic, so the ones produced purely on acoustical instruments really stand out. Among the more distinctive pieces are Ann Cantelow's Memory of Loss for multiple theremin tracks; John Biggs' March of the Krumerhorns, for, you guessed it, krumhorn ensemble; and Morning Song by Stuart Hinds, an overtone singer capable of simultaneously producing unbelievably independent vocal lines. There's considerably more diversity and interest in the 2007 selections, both in medium (quite a few are non-electronic, and there are two plain old songs) and in the moods. Among the most memorable tracks are haunting electronic pieces by Brad Decker and Al Margolis; Journey to the Light by Tuan Hung Le, based in Vietnamese folk traditions; Andrea Vigani's sparkling Post scripta; and John Pitts' Nancarrowian 60 Second Fantasy VII. The terrific concept and the quality of many of the miniatures make this a CD that should be of interest to fans of new music."
- Stephen Eddins, All Music -
The album can be purchased on CDBABY here: 60x60 (2006-2007)
2006
"As a "bang for the buck" recording project, you are never going to do better than buying 120 pieces by 120 composers. There are great tracks, there are funny tracks, there are tracks that are just weird. The best thing is, if you dislike a track, you only have about 45 seconds until you hear something else."
- Jay Batzner, Sequenza21 -
2006-2007 double album released on Vox Novus record label.
The album can be purchased on CDBABY here: 60x60 (2006-2007)
2005
"It is obviously not possible to give a tour of the 120 works offered, or even to name the composers, it would also be presumptuous to say the least to judge their talent after a one minute clip ... But , the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, it's really the whole concept that holds the attention. The diversity of techniques used by composers could have deprived all of the homogeneity that makes these parts put together indeed form a whole, but it is precisely the heterogeneity of 60 "movements" of both "works" which infuses this character so peculiar dream. We can also listen very well each disc random mode without altering the quality at all. If it is not possible to judge the appropriateness of a composer on a single work of a minute (or two works in some cases), these two discs will still be used as catalog and pique the curiosity listeners who want to learn more about some of the creators gathered here."
- Rejean Beaucage, Circuit -
Album Nominated for Just Plain Folks Award and received second place.
2004-2005 double album released on Vox Novus record label.
The album can be purchased on CDBABY here: 60x60 (2004-2005)
2004
" the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, it's really the whole concept that holds the attention. The diversity of techniques used by composers could have deprived all of the homogeneity that makes these parts put together indeed form a whole"
- Rejean Beaucage, Circuit -
Album Nominated for Just Plain Folks Award and received second place.
2004-2005 double album released on Vox Novus record label.
The album can be purchased on CDBABY here: 60x60 (2004-2005)
It's like a Whitman's sampler of the contemporary new music scene.
- Times Union -
60x60 is a project of Vox Novus
60x60 was created and founded by Robert Voisey to inspire, produce, promote, and disseminate the vast aesthetics and styles of contemporary composers being written by today's living composers.
More about Vox Novus and Robert voisey can be found on their perspective websites:
www.VoxNovus.com
www.RobVoisey.com