Artist: Christina Vantzou
Track: Homemade Mountains
Album: Nº1 (2011)
Christina Vantzou is a composer, artist, and filmmaker based in Brussels Belgium. Born in Kansas City, Vantzou maintained an acutely present musical interest all her life, but she gave little thought to becoming a composer. With a background in visual art she ventured into music first as a video artist / animator and later as the keyboardist and sometimes vocalist for the ambient duo, The Dead Texan.
Later, as touring member of Sparklehorse, Vantzou's interest in sampling, and unschooled orchestral composing peaked, and a force drove Vantzou to compose a full length album of post classical ambient chamber music.
Vantzou wrote the orchestral arrangements on Nº1 aided only by a midi keyboard and computer software. Minna Choi of Magik*Magik orchestra transcribed Vantzou's midi arrangements into traditional notation for a 7-piece string, horn and wind ensemble.
This culminated in recordings sessions with Magik*Magik orchestra at Tiny Telephone studios in San Francisco. Nº1 was released by Kranky in October of 2011 and the album was accompanied by a collection of remixes by experimental recording artists and a short film made by Vantzou. Nº1 was praised for its mature resonant sound and hypnotic effect. Nº2 is currently underway.
Check out her music on Bandcamp, and Soundcloud.
Christina Vantzou appears to be without Twitter ...
