About Catalytic
Catalytic Sound is a music based co-operative designed to help create economic sustainability for its artists through patron support.
Put simply, 50% of the money you spend at Catalytic Sound will always go directly to the musicians. Learn More
Solo Songs for Instruments
Wig
“[...] Ig Henneman has discovered a third route, a fusion of the Lied's finesse with the straightforwardness of a jam session. Her Solo Songs for bassoon, bass clarinet, violin, viola and cello trace a semi-improvised road towards song, starting from an instrument. The musician plays, and plays on, till a tipping point is reached where text presents itself as an answer to the questions uttered by the notes as they were groping, searching, dancing, growling, whining. At this point, replete with climactic musical energy, the musician starts to sing, pressed by an urgency too strong for the voice to withhold: it must speak out. It is the turning point. The words of Ingeborg Bachmann, Anneke Brassinga, Emily Dickinson, Sarah Lawson and Nanao Sakaki provide first aid, in magical ambiguity. [...]. —Bas van Putten”
Sessione Pre Angiou
Catalytic Artists Albums
“All proceeds from sales of this album will go toward Democracy Now (www.democracynow.org) an organization suggested by Andy. "Democracy Now! produces a daily, global, independent news hour hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González. Our reporting includes breaking daily news headlines and in-depth interviews with people on the front lines of the world’s most pressing issues. On Democracy Now!, you’ll hear a diversity of voices speaking for themselves, providing a unique and sometimes provocative perspective on global events. Democracy Now! launched in 1996, airing on nine radio stations. More than two decades later, we have grown to be one of the leading U.S.-based independent daily news broadcasts in the world. As an independent news program, Democracy Now! is audience-supported, which means that our editorial independence is never compromised by corporate or government interests. Since our founding in 1996, Democracy Now! has held steadfast to our policy of not accepting government funding, corporate sponsorship, underwriting or advertising revenue."”
Mezzaluna
Catalytic Artist Albums
“100% of the funds collected from the purchase of Mezzaluna [CAA-026] will go to Community Voices Heard (www.cvhaction.org), an organization suggested by Chris. CVH "is a member-led, multi-racial organization principally comprised of women of color and low-income families in New York State. CVH tackles tough issues and builds power to secure racial, social and economic justice for all New Yorkers. Through grassroots organizing, leadership development, policy changes, and creating new models of direct democracy CVH is creating a truly equitable New York State."”
Bashing Mushrooms
Cuneiform Records
““Scandinavians have made an indelible mark on the progressive jazz front for the past several decades...Since 2007, Norwegian-based I.P.A. has been a major exponent of the fertile Euro jazz scene... this unit ups the ante by molding snippets of the past into a mode of attack, blotted by hyper-mode free bop and the frontline's sweltering solos and ricocheting horns arrangements. From start to finish, the quintet abides by an action-packed gait amid a hodgepodge of stylistic formats. Hence, it's a group of many colors as they navigate through these works with rebel-rousing but cohesive exchanges and surging through difficult time signatures with the greatest of ease.” – Glenn Astarita / All About Jazz”
Sound American No. 25: The Folk Issue
Sound American
“Sound American's second issue of 2020 celebrates explores the intersections of folk and experimental music practices. Guest edited/curated by Sarah Hennies and Anna Roberts-Gevalt, two of America’s most forward-looking practitioners in the experimental and folk fields respectively, SA25 takes on questions of a musical community, and what it means to work in and out of its traditions. The issue features writing by Ana Alonso-Minutti on La Llorona, Drew Daniel on Throbbing Gristle, Henry Flynt on his own violin practice, Suzanne Kite in conversation with Scott Benisiinaabandan, John McCowen interviewing Sean Meehan, Kurt Newman and Martin Arnold, Ian Nagoski on bird call impresario Charles Kellogg, and Anna Roberts-Gevalt moving COVID diary and talk with Meredith Monk and Peggy Seeger. This issue’s Exquisite Corpse is by vocalist and composer Amirtha Kidambi.”
Prickly Pear Cactus
Libra Records
“"While this is not the first collaboration between Mori, Fujii, and Tamura, Prickly Pear Cactus manages to raise their game to new levels of abstraction even while containing nods toward more conventional notions of musicality. Well done." - Avant Music News”
In summer and fall 2020, we welcome Jaap Blonk, Chris Corsano, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Bonnie Jones, Brandon Lopez, and claire rousay to the roster!