Eric Roth - AWR Music, LLC - Chicago, IL - USA

Composer/arranger/conductor Eric Roth of AWR Music, LLC

Our first post comes from my dear friend Eric Roth, who is the music director and chief arranger for A New World: intimate music from FINAL FANTASY, and who was the conductor for the “Weird Al” Yankovic Strings Attached orchestra tour. Coming very soon is UNDERTALE Live featuring arrangements by Eric with me, for which Eric was also the producer. He is also a composer in his own right having recently released the RPG National Anthem Variations, a set of variations based on the beloved Theme from FINAL FANTASY by Nobuo Uematsu and performed by guitarist Sam Griffith, which is available on Bandcamp and other digital retailers. For more information, see https://awrmusic.com/team/eric-roth.

first impressions of CMFH from ER to CO (an inside glimpse of a musical friendship):

Where is Everybody? - you’re freaking me out!

The Fermi Paradox - some great stuff, like Sun Ra.  The clarity of the voices and roles within the ensemble is particularly successful.

Four No More - Very Uncle Meaty in a good way.  fun harmony.

Before There Were… - see above

Comp V - really dig the second movement, actually reminds me of some Marcos Balter music!  III. has that good semi-free jazz energy in a little capsule. The structure of IV is pretty unusual; i dig it. V has satisfying counterpoint!

In the darkest hour - is excellent

Owl Flight - dope. actually, the ‘harmony’ is some of what’s most interesting to me: super percussion chords/textures

They Asked…-really really strong

Echoes - great.  love the flange.  I’m a sucker for the vector.

Am I? Are We? / Are We Living… - gorg. I’ll buy it. Please remember that you could call upon a truly remarkable musician like Mike fucking Keneally to blow his soul out on your record: it says a lot about the esteem MK has for you.  You have to know there are so many others who would jump at the chance to stand with you!  We believe in you!

Waking Up - whoa baby, you deliver the goods here.  This one gets the spins! You go Ives on us.  It kinda brings everything that preceded it into focus.  Very gutsy sequencing!  and um.. good title.

What are you talking about? - ha!

The Black Ball - hilarious top! great.  love the longer shapes in the backgrounds and the coda is dope.

How I Hate the Night - Fighting music??? didn’t see that coming. way to fucking go! I’m crunching shit over here!

Where there was once a Leviathan - this sound world reminds me of a certain Radiohead song in a beautiful way.

Cribbage

I. is like an intro for the meat in II. 

Everybody has moments in II.  It’s cool like that. 

III. is a clinic. IV. funky V. yeah, dogg!

VI. your Carla Bley is showing! I love it!

VII. why not?  you’re really an unusual composer in your variety of expression.  VIII. more great piano writing.

IX. OH SHIT!!! love this post Carla shit!

X. Now it’s more Bernstein/Copland.  You’re cool.

XI. now we’re back here in this modernist area.  I feel like you’re just warming up.

XII. what a surprise!  not a surprise: more great piano writing.

XIII. uh oh, clinic pt 2., but this time w a different ensemble color 

XV. Synergy, huh?  This is some strong strong stuff here.  Putting the strands together.  Wow.  You bad.  I see why you wanted to end the record this way.  I hope everyone sticks around for THIS one.

Overall: the highs are so fucking high! the last movement of Cribbage, Waking the fuck Up!!!!! And then everything else is so high too!

This is quite an achievement.  You're gonna scare people everywhere; it is really really formidable.

And there's so much to build on moving forward.  You sir, I'm not afraid to say, have a bright future ahead of you.

MAZEL TOV!!!

ANOTHER ALBUM!!!

Eric Roth

AWR Music, LLC

AWR Music Productions, LLC