ONIX Ensemble writes: “When we decided to prepare a performance of Pierre Boulez's The Hammer with no Master, we knew that we were facing a...

ONIX Ensemble writes: “When we decided to prepare a performance of Pierre Boulez's The Hammer with no Master, we knew that we were facing a great challenge: a work of great technical and artistic complexity. What we present in this album is our live version, which we believe constitutes an original and truly Latin American interpretation. It was recorded in the year 2005, and since then it was put away, because we couldn’t find the pieces that could accompany such monumentality, and its thirty-five minutes were not enough to complete a record project by itself. It was not until recently that ONIX decided to release this version, accompanied by also live performances of works by composers Maki Ishii and Elliott Carter, whose interpretive and compositional contribution was similar, both aesthetically and conceptually. Hard Core requires very strong instrumental skills, not only in the technical aspects for each individual player, but in terms of ensemble work. The recording is a challenge for the listener as well: “hard core listening”- necessary to appreciate and enjoy the innumerable contours of a sound reef full of details and complex refinements in timbre, dynamics, rhythms and harmony.”