Perth-based composer, sound artist and vocalist Rachael Dease opens our playlist this month, blurring the lines between contemporary songwriting, theatrical soundscape and art music in her latest release I Am Here. Sia Ahmad’s Breather Loop One picks up this focus on movement and ambience and creates a meditative space to really hone the audience’s ear – headphones are recommended for this one.

Every time Fuglar himins by Rosalind Page starts playing I’m convinced there’s a singer, but instead it the expressive and virtuosic playing of saxophonist (and composer) Katia Beaugeais. Page expertly uses the piano just enough to frame the saxophone without detracting from it’s long and expansive lines.

Another work that demands headphones is the astoundingly immersive Superclusters, Pt. II by Bree van Reyk. Van Reyk has featured on this playlist multiple times, and has demonstrated her ability to weave intricate and vibrant webs of sound into a space. This track is a playground of colour, rhythmic impetuous, and ever-moving texture.

Luke Carbon and Alex Raineri tackle Elliott Gyger’s Liquid Crystal on their latest album of the same name. It is a demanding work but Carbon and Raineri’s connection and energy bring out the playfulness in Gyger’s music. A shocking (but fun) juxtaposition is Robert Davidson’s electronic work Spin, a looping piece that captures and highlights the percussive nature of the piano and electronics.

Another new piano work is Lachlan Skipworth’s Shingetsu, performed by New Zealand pianist Liam Wooding. Wooding’s phrasing and smoothness of touch, really engender a sense of breath into the work, a common thread in much of Skipworth’s output. Breath also seems to be key in Anne Cawrse’s new duet for Sharon and Slava Grigoryan, Grounded. This work feels like a dance between two equal partners, ducking weaving between each other’s lines in perfect balance.

Zela Margossian’s Refuge shares this sinuous quality, the rise and fall of the various layers within the quintet give way to new melodic ideas, and grooves constantly but Margossian’s music voice draws them together into a contiguous, smooth, unified work. Resting With Angels is also a work that evolves. Written by Ella Macens and performed by Sydney-based Ensemble Apex, the piece is a meditation on the music of Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks, whom Macens shares her cultural heritage with. She intends for it to instill the sensation of light conquering darkness, and I believe she succeeds, while showcasing her mastery of string writing.

I hope some pieces caught your ear on the Aussie Art Music playlist this month – don’t forget to see if there are launch concerts to attend or albums to buy for these new releases. But, if you’re looking for more to listen to (including some older releases), the full Australian Art Music Archive has also been updated on Spotify (now with over 90 hours of music to discover!).