Groenland Records 90

Four CDs of unreleased material, compiled to celebrate Hans-Joachim Roedelius’s 90th birthday. ‘90’ is in no way intended as the exhaustive retrospective of the oeuvre of an important artist. The actual chronology of these pieces, and in some cases who might have collaborated with Roedelius on them, remain a mystery. But the historical context of this music is undeniably compelling - it doesn’t feel like hyperbole to suggest that these cascading, hypnotic cycles equal the best of contemporaries like Terry Riley, working half a world away on their own minimal masterpieces. For now, a celebration is sufficient - the portrait of an extraordinary life at 90, narrated in beautiful, intimate, innovative music.