Graham Reynolds

Golden Hornet: “Army Ants”

Bugs…they’re super weird! They’re everywhere, they’re ancient, their appearance is alien and for every beautiful-looking specimen there’s an equal and opposite that makes us feel icky. And if there’s anyone up to the massive task of adapting…bugs to an aural experience, it’s Golden Hornet, and not just because they have a bug in their name.

No, this Austin-based string-heavy endeavor spearheaded by Artistic Director Graham Reynolds has never really been bound by the rules of conventional composition; instead Golden Hornet stings with unbridled variety and adventurous arrangements, no matter what genres they’re crossbreeding with. And the latest from Golden Hornet finds Reynolds uniting with ex-Kronos Quartet cellist Jeffrey Zeigler and renowned percussionist Susie Ibarra to create INSECTUM, a nine-song collection as eclectic as the specimens they interpret.

INSECTUM is avant-garde down to a microscopic level, and far from the most accessible thing you’ll hear all year. So if you’ve been bit by the bizarre music bug, support our classical-curating colleagues and march on over to the Draylen Mason Music Studio 7PM this Thursday for KMFA’s Offbeat series. We guarantee it’ll be a life changing concert, and not in a nightmarish Kafka-esque way. Just crank up the volume, zone out, and lose your mind to INSECTUM‘s penultimate offering “Army Ants” and you’ll hear exactly what we mean.

Graham Reynolds & Marta Del Grandi: “Linger In Silence”

With each new innovative installation of SXSW, it’s easy to think the tech character of Austin is eclipsing that of “the Live Music Capital of the World”. But have faith! Aside from those international conferences and meet-and-greet mingles, South By’s still an essential institution for creatives on the prowl for new collaborators outside the local scene, e.g. Austin’s Graham Reynolds and Milan’s Marta Del Grandi.Graham’s a longtime piano-playing KUTX favorite, who, speaking of tech, wrote the score for Rick Linklater’s A Scanner Darkly, among a handful of others. And honestly, his extensive accomplishments in performance, production, theatre, dance, film, and television speak for themselves before you first spin his music. Then there’s Marta, a classically-trained singer who’s been coming up quick since 2021 and just released her debut full-length Selva at the tail-end of October.Well, in the time since this past March, Marta and Graham have made hay of their auspicious SXSW encounter with their still-fresh single “Linger In Silence”. Along with its Italian-language counterpart, “Linger In Silence” steals any need for commentary with serene strings, Reynolds’ idiosyncratic piano tones, and Del Grandi’s double-tracked unison vocals. By the tune’s halfway point, the expansive arrangement and cinematic dynamics step into the spotlight for a hell of a breakneck bridge before the alleviating final verse and chorus take you off guard from “Linger”‘s explosive finish that’ll leave you speechless.

Golden Hornet: “Bless Isomer”

Although we’ve had clearly defined political boundaries since 1836, there’s still an inseparable culture between Texas and Mexico. Whether you call it Tejano or Texican, it’s a give-and-take social process within which Austin’s Graham Reynolds has found a golden opportunity. Graham and the Golden Hornet team have already applied rock production techniques to classical arrangements and recordings for decades, but their latest endeavor, MXTX: A Cross-Border Exchange might be their biggest idea yet; MXTX features forty different artists, twenty Composers and twenty DJ-Producers, half from Mexico, half from Texas. What started with building up an open source audio sample library has finally finished with the fourteen trailblazing tracks of MXTX, but apparently these pocket symphonies aren’t a studio-exclusive experience. MXTX makes its live concert debut 8PM tomorrow night at Waterloo Park as part of Fusebox Festival and Frida Friday ATX. The event is free and open to the public, with plenty to see and hear from 4PM all the way until 10PM, so join in with the rest of Golden Hornet’s collective nest tomorrow at Waterloo and cross the border out of the work week with “Bless Isomer”.

The Return of SXSW

We’re taking a look at the first in-person SXSW in 3 years. You’ll hear from rapper and event curator J Soulja, bartender and co-founder of the Amplified Sound Coalition Jeanette Gregor, artist manager Andi Narvaez, Cheer-Up Charlie’s owners Maggie Lea and Tamara Hoover, musician and composer Graham Reynolds, freelance writer Brianna Caleri, artist, instrumentalist, bandleader and soundman Thomas Cook, and musician Jackie Venson.

Living in Austin as a Musician

Listen back to our Views and Brews discussion recorded live at The Cactus Cafe in Austin, Texas as we ask What is Austin Music and Can it Feed Your Family?

KUT’s Rebecca McInroy along with Graham Reynolds, Redd Volkaert, Leslie Sisson, Thor Harris, and Brannen Temple to talk about collaborating across musical cultures; what it means to sustain a musical scene; and what musicians need from the city and the community in order to thrive.

The Intergalactic Nemesis

The Intergalactic Nemesis is one of the most unique science fiction shows being performed today. What originally started as a radio program has evolved to graphic novels, a live action performance, and a YouTube channel. In this episode, Rebecca McInroy interviews creator Jason Neulander to discuss the production and progression of the series.

V&B: Cowboy Poetry Set to Music

Graphic designer DJ Stout and Austin-based composer and pianist Graham Reynolds talk about their collaboration that illustrates the power of regionalism and the beauty of home on a global stage. Stout of Pentagram, the world’s largest independent design consultancy, will discuss his latest publication featuring cowboy poets from West Texas, as Reynolds performs a live score along with the presentation. This will be a version of the performance they gave at the Design Indaba conference in Cape Town in February 2014.

Along with their presentation they’ll talk about what it means to bring your home and your place into your work, however international it may be. Why is it important to “go back to your roots”? What is the role of home and history is 21st Century graphic design? What was the reception in Cape Town to this Texas project?