Composers and instrumentalists Vicente Hansen Atria and Mat Muntz are set to release their new album “The Vex Collection”, releasing on Carrier Records February 18. With a grand combination of jazz, world, contemporary classical, and experimental rock, these two trendsetters have experimented with traditional instruments to devise unforgettable musical experiences.

The Vex Collection by Vicente Hansen Atria and Mat Muntz

Atria and Muntz grew straight out of NYC’s The Shed Open Call commissioning program. This establishment is a cultural institution that welcomes and molds 21st century art and ideas. The Shed cultivates creativity in fields ranging from pop to classical music, painting to digital media, theater to literature, and sculpture to dance. Their mutual interest in double reeds, which are by far one of the most ancient musical technologies that produce intense ranging sounds, were intertwined with newly invented technology, known as live electronics that were developed through 3-D-printing.

In addition to the two composers, others joined the musical journey to mesh traditional and new sounds to produce “The Vex Collection”. Gamin, played the Korean double reed instruments the piri and taepyeongso, while Matthew Welch, specialized in the great highland bagpipe. Additionally, musician Neo, plays the carnyx, bombard, and dozaleh.

These instruments were deeply rooted in Korea and Scotland, some being one of the first to have a substantial impact in their respective cultures. Atria and Muntz made sure not to alter the natural sounds of the traditional music, but rather allowed it to clash with the live electronics on one song and flow smoothly on the next. The newer instruments that intertwined with the old, ranged from distorted guitars to aggressive synthesizers and detailed microtonality. Ultimately, the group proved that older music is still apart of today’s culture, just with an advanced technological twist.

“The Vex Collection” has pushed passed the social norms within the music industry, as we know it today. This album is full of improvisations of music between two distinct time periods, that go above and beyond what listeners could have imagined.

To check out their latest single “Fugue”, visit Foxy Digitalis. For more information about Atria and Muntz, as well as “The Vex Collection”, visit these sites: Mat Muntz, Vincent Hansen.

The Shed The Vex Collection Vicente Hansen Atria and Mat Muntz

From The Shed To Transcending Ancient Music With New Technology, Vicente Hansen Atria and Mat Muntz Present “The Vex Collection”