Yesterday, prolific avant-garde jazz trio Medeski, Martin & Wood released a brand-new single in collaboration with contemporary 20-piece chamber orchestra Alarm Will Sound via Consequence Of Sound. The new song, “Anonymous Skulls”, is a preview of the artists’ upcoming seven-track collaborative album, Omnisphere, which is due out on September 14th via Indirecto Records, MMW’s own imprint.
“Anonymous Skulls” was originally released by Medeski, Martin, & Wood on their 2004 album, End Of The World Party (Just In Case). Earlier in the month, Medeski, Martin & Wood and Alarm Will Sound released their first single off Omnisphere, a reimagining of the title track of the 2004 album. For this reinvented take on “Anonymous Skulls”, Alarm Will Sound violinist Courtney Orlando rearranged the tune for the full chamber orchestra, augmenting the song with rich sonic depth. However, Omnisphere is not just a collection of MMW tunes rearranged for the addition of a chamber orchestra. The forthcoming album also features a healthy mix of original music by members of both groups.
As John Medeski shared with Live For Live Music earlier in the year, this soon-to-be-released collaborative effort with Alarm Will Sound has been in the works for a while, coming about after the renowned jazz trio “played gigs in the Denver area with music they wrote, music that we wrote, and some old stuff rearranged for them.” At the time of the interview, Medeski hinted that MMW was also in the studio working on the record.” He explained, “It’ll be out probably this coming year, for sure. There’s gonna be a film and a documentary around it about the band. … All new stuff, and it’s pretty exciting.”
You can listen to the newest single from Medeski, Martin & Wood and Alarm Will Sound’s collaborative album, premiered via Consequence Of Sound, below.
Medeski, Martin & Wood w/ Alarm Will Sound – “Anonymous Skulls”