Michael Byron’s music is one of contrasts, noted for its intertwining of minimalist and maximalist techniques and rigorous processes with freely composed music. It uniquely reconciles traditional notions of beauty with boisterous, almost-out-of-control instrumental writing. This CD features performances by some of today’s most-respected new-music champions, including pianists Sarah Cahill and Joseph Kubera, synthesizer player Kathleen Supové, and the FLUX Quartet. International Record Review, walking its readers through the album, track by track, wrote: “Continents of city and love is a moving and sensual piece—a sort of timeless, impersonal, chthonic lovesong.... Evaporated pleasure...is emphatic music, with a machine-like insistence; objective and impersonal, it is heir to the legacy of Conlon Nancarrow.... Even more arresting is Awakening at the inn of the birds...a glorious polyphonic cacophony.... As she sleeps...creates a still space enclosed by great tenderness and a wonderful meditative calm.... Tidal...is a many-layered sonority in which the near and the far gradually change places. The performances are as good as one would expect from so stellar a group of players.... another admirable release from Cold Blue.”