lia kohl’s 8 records for kindling soft energy
Lia Kohl is a Chicago-based cellist, composer, and multi-disciplinary artist. Her repository of work includes a wide mixture of solo and collaborative adventures in sound and visual art, from sound recordings, string arrangements, and tours through gallery exhibitions and performance art pieces. With releases on Longform Editions, American Dream Records, and SHINKOYO / Artist Pool, Lia’s sound is an archway that connects pointillistic orchestration and fluid experimentation. She captures a palpable softness—a quality she excavates and examines thoughtfully with a mood list of 8 records that emit soft energy.
On her mood list inspiration, Lia notes, “There’s a special kind of music that’s not for relaxing, not for working, not for exercising, and not for partying. It’s music that invites active thinking, a little bright wake-up call for your mind. This music is like opening a window, like eating a cold piece of watermelon on a hot day, or a hot piece of pizza on a snowy night. This music is not manipulative; it’s not about being heartbroken, elated, or nostalgic. This music meets you where you are and invites you to stay.”
Enjoy Lia’s selections and the soft edges of wherever the music finds you.
Ulla – foam
The tracks are short and extremely varied, while maintaining a really strong identity as a whole album. As someone who loves scrolling through the radio, this feels akin to that experience – but the radio in question is invariably interesting and strange.
Anna Wise – geovariance w/ Jon Bap
I never totally know where I am or what to expect in this music, which is a feeling I love. It’s experimental but also incredibly fun, a rare combination. All of it feels like it’s recorded in real space – full of room noise and out of tune pianos and whistles – but the space is continually shifting and morphing.
foodman – Yasuragi Land
foodman’s sound world is one of my favorites: every sound tickles my brain. I love his combination of music that really grooves and sounds that feel like they’re from space. The physical design of this album is also super fun – it looks like a huge bento box!
Gorge Trio – Open Mouth, O’ Wisp
I found this album by being a Deerhoof fan (the trio includes Deerhoof guitarist John Dieterich). It’s blisteringly chaotic and endlessly interesting.
Jacob Sachs-Mishalanie – Scribble
My friend Corey Smith played this album in a rehearsal last year as part of a movement warm-up, and I’ve loved it ever since. I often listen to it on my bike. It melds oddly well with the ambient city sounds and has wonderful energy.
Matchess – Sacracorpa
Whitney Johnson is a good friend and collaborator who puts out a wide variety of music. I’m always fascinated to hear what she’s working on, because it’s always an interesting balance of conceptual and intuitive. This album from 2018 feels like it’s calling up spirits, or aligning the planets, or some other kind of serious and beautiful magic.
Rupert Clervaux & Beatrice Dillon – Studies I-XVII for Samplers and Percussion
This deceptively complex album has a beautiful sound world. It’s interesting to me that something can contain both a lot of space and a lot of energy.
Ton Koopman – Scarlatti, D.: Keyboard Senatas
Harpsichord is such an under-appreciated instrument, and Ton Koopman is an incredible player. The sound of the harpsichord feels related to certain, very pure synth sounds—there’s something bright and fresh about both of them. These Scarlatti Sonatas are pretty astonishing – D major (K.492) is a favorite.
