A Moving Sound and ETHEL – The Wheel of Life (ARC Music, 2024)
The Wheel of Life is an innovative cross-genre album that gracefully combines the compositions of Taiwanese ensemble A Moving Sound with the strings of New York City’s ETHEL quartet. The project was started two years ago as an initiative to reinterpret A Moving Sound’s music with the depth of Western classical strings, leading to a collaboration with ETHEL, a group known for its pioneering approach to concert music. Both groups share a commitment to pushing musical boundaries and delivering emotionally resonant performances.
On this occasion, A Moving Sound takes the music into a captivating chamber folk direction, combining Mia Hsieh’s exceptionally expressive vocals, a wide range of dazzling Chinese and global percussion, and brilliant western classical string performances.
A Moving Sound has performed in over twenty countries, including appearances at The Kennedy Center, W.O.M.A.D., and the Melbourne International Arts Festival. ETHEL, a Grammy-winning string quartet founded in 1998, stands out for its amplified performances and the incorporation of improvisation into its repertoire.
A Moving Sound Musicians: Mia Hsieh: vocals; Joey Chen on percussion; Scott Prairie on vocals, percussion; and Eduardo Campos on additional percussion on “Water of Life.”
ETHEL members: Ralph Farris on viola, backing vocals; Kip Jones on violin, backing vocals; Dorothy Lawson on cello, backing vocals; and Corin Lee on violin, backing vocals.
Buy The Wheel of Life.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.