NATIVE Premiere: The Radial Conservatory’s “Volume I”

Over the past two years, artist collective The Radical Conservatory has put on a series of shows that cross visual projections with elaborate improvisational soundscapes. Founded by folk artist and composer Thad Kopec, the group has served as a platform for collaboration and experimentation among some of Nashville’s finest (albeit lesser known) composers. And people have taken notice: TRC has played everywhere from TEDx Nashville to Creative City Project in Orlando, Florida, to FestivalONE in New Zealand.

Now, the group is finally releasing their first proper full length LP. Volume I is a compilation of past TRC performances and rehearsals that features local artists like David SwickAlex Leach, and many more.

The album’s opening track, “New Territory,” evokes feelings of longing and solitude through masterful string ensemble, while “Underwater” combines ambient synths and strings to create a hymn for the modern age. Seven-minute album standout “Desert Crossing” starts off with a bed of creeping synth drones before slowly giving way to crawling drums and celebratory flutes.

Overall, the album is an impressive look into the world of contemporary classical music that any listener can lose themselves in.

Suggested Content