Following the release of his third solo album, Empyrean, on 11th September, acclaimed Canadian cellist and composer Raphael Weinroth-Browne unveils ‘Rift’, the first of three bonus tracks recorded during the album sessions.
Continuing Empyrean’s exploration of transformation, impermanence and the fragile boundaries between order and chaos, ‘Rift’ brings together the dark, intricate textures of Baroque music and the abrasive force of industrial-tinged electronics. Opening with a brooding, bowed arpeggio sequence that recalls J.S. Bach’s G Major Prelude for solo cello, alongside the austere atmospheres of David Darling’s Cello and Darkwood, the piece gradually builds through layered strings before splintering into jagged electronic textures and a crushing, pulsating beat.
Where the opening passages lean into Bach-inspired restraint, Weinroth-Browne gradually pushes the composition into darker, more turbulent territory, layering increasingly abrasive textures against the cello’s resonant tones. Like Empyrean track ‘Dissolution’, ‘Rift’ draws on the contrast between classical structure and sonic upheaval, reflecting the intellectual and philosophical shifts that challenged established worldviews during the Age of Enlightenment.
Discover Empyrean album here: https://raphaelweinroth-browne.bandcamp.com/album/empyrean
Comments Raphael: “‘Rift’ encapsulates my dialogue with Bach throughout Empyrean, merging dark Baroque strings with almost industrial-sounding electronic elements. As with ‘Dissolution’, I wanted to explore the idea of a beautiful, harmonious whole fracturing into tiny particles, reflecting the rift between religion and science in Bach’s time and the Age of Enlightenment.”