DIFFUSION i MéDIA celebrates 16 years of online presence with the release of a brand new version of its electrocd.com website. And starting January 1st, 2011, for only one month, we offer a 16% rebate on absolutely every disc, magazine, and book available in… The Electroacoustic Music Store! And a happy new year to all of you!

The great countdown has started: only 7 days before the official release of the new content-rich electrocd.com website. In the works since July, the beta version was discreetly placed online in September. Since, adjustments, debugging, polishing, finishing, and validation steps have been completed (enough) to declare that it is now ready. At the edge 2010 and ’11.

Foliphonies celebrates the 20 years of empreintes DIGITALes with a double-concert of Patrick Ascione’ work and works by younger composers whose music is released by empreintes DIGITALes. This concert is produced by Les Acousmonautes at the Cité de la musique in Marseille (France) on December 8, 2010 as part of the annual colloquim of the Association des enseignants de la composition en musique électroacoustique (France).

Electroacoustician Ingrid Drese makes acousmatic music, and many of the pieces included on this 110-minute DVD-Audio (stereo sound only, regular fidelity) bear the influence of Francis Dhomont. There’s a number of strong and beautiful moments here, especially in Papillon, abîme, nuit (dreamy), Plis de la nuit (very Dhomont-esque in its plasticity), and Sept œils sauvages, although the latter also contains weaker passages. Quite recommendable.

Why, oh why is empreintes DIGITALes always sending promos late? Ubiquité would very likely have been included in my 2009 Top 30. A splendid slab of acousmatic art. Four heavy-minded pieces, full of rich, moving sounds that weave their own logic between the six loudspeakers in my living room. The walls are shaking, and so is my soul. Rites d’oiseaux pensants and Mont des borgnes are stunning compositions. Major art, not academic-sounding or predictable at all, almost rebel in attitude. Bravo. On DVD-Audio, stereo and 5.1 mixes, high fidelity.