By calling this new release 'vol. 1', I'm signing up for a lot of future investment, but am excited to create new versions of pieces that mean a lot to me, whatever genre they come from.

The first release features two cornerstones of minimalism from the late '60s and early '70s. They complement each other with a ying and yang of driving energy and expansive timelessness.

Music in Similar Motion (Philip Glass, 1969)

A stream of twisting distorting motifs that stretch and compress in various ways seemed ripe for re-interpreting as a piece of math-rock minimalism! The layers of harmony steadily build over the first half of the piece, driven by insistent Chapman Stick and piano parts. Eventually the river opens out into an estuary and sustained notes smooth the music's surface, subsuming the rhythmic current. This breaks into a drum-led section before peaking in a maddening climax of machine-like repetition, and almost disco hi-hats.

The Sinking of the Titanic (Gavin Bryars, 1972)

Polar Institute's live ensemble is here backed up by a lush string orchestration, and sound collage of archive recordings relating to the sinking of RMS Titanic in 15th April, 1912.

The arrangement features several hymns known to have been played by the Titanic musicians and at times echo from different members of the ensemble through spaces in the music.

Reportedly the musicians remained onboard and continued to play as the ship went down. Bryars' intention for this piece was to imagine the ripples of sound continuing to resonate outwards infinitely after Titanic sank.