The Year Before Yesterday. Los Angeles Percussion Quartet

For me, a little percussion music usually goes a long way. But a program as interesting, expertly played, and well recorded as this is a definite keeper. The four artists comprising the Los Angeles Percussion Quartet perform material by six contemporary composers, including current (Joseph Pereira) and former (William Kraft) principal timpanists of the LA Philharmonic. A look at the liner notes’ session photos gives a good idea of how wide-ranging are the aural environments created—mallet percussion, all manner of drums and cymbals, “found instruments,” even toys are in evidence. The sounds produced aren’t always “percussive”—listen to the eerily beautiful opening of Isaac Schankler’s Blindnesses, which combines electronica with unconventional performance techniques. Pereira’s Mallet Quartet evokes an Indonesian gamelan ensemble; Lullaby 5, by Nicholas Deyoe, employs two vibraphones that are slightly out of tune with each other. The Year Before Yesterday was realized in a large rehearsal room at Chapman University. The musicians surround seven main microphones on tall stands, complemented by spots. Sono Luminus’ 96/24 recording features exceptional dynamic range and holographic imaging.