Dichroic Light
‘Matthew Whiteside is a cerebral composer and sound designer who’s creating classical-crossover works to challenge the 21st century consensus.’
M-Magazine http://www.m-magazine.co.uk/features/interviews/interview-matthew-whiteside/
‘Dichroic Light takes its name from dichroic glass that displays two colours, depending on how the light hits it. It’s a nice metaphor for an album which has the duality of incredible beauty and unsettling mood.’
Lorna Irvine, Across the Arts ****
http://www.acrossthearts.co.uk/news/artsblog/music-review-matthew-whiteside–dichroic-light-/
‘Matthew Whiteside is clearly a talented and creative person who is already doing well and no doubt has a bright future.’
Dominey Clements, Musicweb International
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2015/May/Whiteside_light_IMBT1501.htm
Dichroic Light, recorded by Abby Hayward for Dichroic Light
‘a magic sonic amplification of the solo cello through electronics’
Ken Walton, The Scotsman. 16/5/2015 ****
‘Melding chamber aesthetics with electronic minimalism, the Lisburn-born composer’s debut strikes a rewarding balance of abstract subtlety and melodic power’
Solo for Viola D’amore and Live Electronics, recorded by Emma Lloyd for Dichroic Light
‘overall effect is one of meditation – a Japanese stone garden whose raked ripples have been brought into sound’
Dominey Clements, Musicweb International
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2015/May/Whiteside_light_IMBT1501.htm
‘Music for headphones, in the best possible way’
Graham Rickson, The Arts Desk
http://www.theartsdesk.com/classical-music/classical-cds-weekly-adams-bliss-matthew-whiteside
Other Reviews
Quartet for Violin, Viola, Cello and Double bass, performed by the Robinson Panoramic Quartet, National Concert Hall, Dublin, 3/2/2014
‘And the combination of cello and double bass genuinely adds a totally new dimension. These features were best exploited in … Matthew Whiteside’s Quartet’
Michael Dervan, Irish Times, 5/2/2014
Portfolio Review, July 2013
‘Although his body of work’s main strength is its diversity, it is when he brings his broad range of influences together that he truly impresses.’
http://deadbirdreview.com/matthew-whitesides-the-world-in-an-oyster-an-oyster-in-the-world/
Dichroic Light, Aberdeen Art Gallery, 5/11/2012
‘A fascinating essay in pure sound’ – Alan Cooper, Sound Festival, Aberdeen, 2011
I Made A Carrot Cake performed On The Rocks festival, St Andrews 22/4/11
Writer – Charlie Hanson, Sound Designer – Matthew Whiteside.
Cast Charlie Hanson and Kimberly Miller
‘The performance is deeply emotive; with a stark set design and lighting set-up perfectly complementing the tone of the piece. As an audience member I felt completely drawn in by Hanson’s touching and ageless portrayal of love and loss. This intense part is contrasted by Miller’s convincingly harsh American accent, symbolising the objective account of death offered by medical science. The on stage performance is accompanied by a cacophony of sounds, the rush of a dying man’s final thoughts.’
Holly Patrick, Theatre In Scotland 24/5/11
Source text: http://tinyurl.com/imaccake
Imagined Notes performed Irish Composer’s Collective 22/2/2010
‘But the evening’s most fascinating evocations were in the electro-acoustic piece, Imagined Notes, by Matthew Whiteside. Starting from sampled sounds of piano and oboe, he used electronic alchemy to create a soundscape of mock-vocalisations (sometimes sounding like a chorus of beings halfway between man and sheep) interrupted by industrial grinding.’ – Michael Dervan Irish Times 1/3/2010.
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/iccnotes (subscription required)
Puddle Wonderful performed Spark Opera Company 12-14/1/2009
‘All aspects of this opera, form the setting – in an alleyway beside some bins – to the cold lighting, to Matthew Whiteside’s discordant score, were powerfully bleak and amplified the already troubling tale….the distressing nature of the story was carried through to the dissonance of the music, and different performers simultaneously playing the same character added to the unsettling atmosphere. With strong performances from all three vocalists, especially Rebecca Hopkins, this was a piece where the collaboration between librettist, composer and director produced a work of singular artistic vision’ – Dave Kinghan, Fortnight, March 2010