Quartet A is the first single out from Nichola Scrutton's upcoming album Interzone.
Nichola Scrutton’s Interzone (Nonclassical, 2023) takes inspiration in the state of in-betweenness: not awake or asleep, conscious or unconscious, but instead at the border between daytime and nighttime. Two defined elements emerge from Interzone: a careful use of electronics, and Scrutton’s experimental vocal practice. The album was recorded in two steps, first by the artist herself in her studio in Glasgow, using field recordings and archival materials, resulting in the series of four Interzones which connect the album. She later worked with engineer Jim McEwan to record the second series of tracks - the two Quartets, and the Trio and Solo movements - focused on using extended vocal techniques. Interzone emerged out of Scrutton’s solo live performance practice: the literal ‘liveness’ of live performance influenced the studio sessions.
Nichola Scrutton is an award-winning composer/sound artist, vocalist and artist. Her compositions have been broadcast internationally, including recent long-form work Dream Stream for Radio Art Zone, European Capital of Culture Esch 2022. Nichola has extensive experience as a collaborator in interdisciplinary and participatory contexts. In 2023, in addition to the Interzone release on Nonclassical, Nichola is producing multifaceted project Night Vision, including a release, performance and film; and collaborating on new work with Zoë Strachan as recipients of a Second Life Award from the Edwin Morgan Trust. Nichola was awarded a PhD in electroacoustic composition in 2009, University of Glasgow.