William Ørbit* – Pieces In A Modern Style

Classical music done in electronic instruments: it's been done before, but not quite with the sophistication as William Orbit has done on PIECES IN A MODERN STYLE. So while "Adagio for Strings" would sound good played with kazoos, the more surprising selections on here are the ones worth investigating, like the modern minimalism of John Cage's "In a Landscape" or the Ravel's delicate "Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte." It's fascinating to hear Beethoven's "Triple Concerto" as modulated trip-hop, but hey, whatever. The revisions of Gorecki's "Pieces in the Old Style" are more intriguing, however, with the electronics successfully conveying the mood of the originals. The mixes of "Adagio for Strings" on the bonus disc are fun, but fluff. While, generally, the end result is pleasant, the concept of the album as a whole makes me wonder, "And?" The conversion of classical music to electronic music should be more transformative, I feel, to justify the switch. And William Orbit hasn't quite convinced me yet.