Austrian, New York-based interdisciplinary artist and vocalist, Luisa Muhr, presents her solo debut album, TEUFLIN/SHE-DEVIL. It is a structured improvised music project based on a handmade 12-page graphic score. The score allows each player to focus on improvising with positive and negative spaces in each image, variation of angles by rotating score pages, pointillism through the shadow textures of each image, long tones through the outline of individual cutouts on each image, the density of the cutouts, and/or the player’s volume according to the size of individual cutouts of each image.
 
The project challenges the concept of “evil” through a womxn's perspective while questioning the separation of “good” and “evil”, specifically as found in Western traditions. Muhr incorporates the original German texts from Goethe’s Faust, all centering the “spirit that denies”: Mephistopheles (or: Mephistophela).
 
In an all womxn-trio, Muhr is joined by two other international masterful improvisers, Emily Suzanne Shapiro (CA/UK), and Adriana Camacho (MX) on bass clarinet and bass, respectively.
 
Recorded in one take and preserved as such, this album offers a listening journey that invites the listener into a sonic landscape that not only explores a broad range of vocal and instrumental sounds but also imagery and architecture, expanding far beyond the limitations of genre.
 
Luisa Muhr (concept, graphic score/composition, voice)
Emily Shapiro (bass clarinet)
Adriana Camacho (bass and effects)
 
Texts from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s “Faust”
Recorded in Rome (Italy) at Villa Colombo, 2023.
Mixed and mastered by Shrenik Ganatra.
Produced by Luisa Muhr.
Boomslang Records, March 2024.
Design by Shrenik Ganatra.
 
Introductory words:
Luisa Muhr is remarkable in her contributions to contemporary vocal art, as well as to music, dance, and humanity, itself. This trio confidently, naturally, organically, walks into the fray of the sometimes bewilderingly formidable diversity, and populousness, of so-called twenty-first century classical music, and free improvisation. Her trio-mates, Adriana Camacho, and Emily Suzanne Shapiro, are uniquely suited to meet this challenge. The subtlety and nuance of communication with, and sensitivity to one another is breathtaking.
The recording exhibits an astonishing self-awareness, on the part of each of the three musicians, and great human empathy, daring, and naturalness, in the trio’s collective and individual range of musical expression. This music not only transcends genre, but also, music, itself, in the sense of being a warmly welcoming spiritual, and soul invitation. It’s also simply a great pleasure to listen to.
--Daniel Carter
 
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