Occam XXV was commissioned by Organ Reframed, the festival founded and curated by Claire M. Singer devoted exclusively to organ works. Performed by Frédéric Blondy, Occam XXV is quintessential Radigue, with a single long drone gradually accumulating mass before it falls away, bit by bit, into silence. Clocking in at a sprightly 44:30, it’s manageable enough that a more casual listener can take it out for a spin without feeling overburdened.
Radigue never rushes—one of the most common descriptions of her music is that its changes come so slowly they are imperceptible in the moment, and only registered in hindsight. Occam XXV doesn’t quite get there; across the span of the piece, it’s easy to track the development from elemental sub frequencies through a magisterial, full-spectrum sound to the thin, ethereal outro. This is an asset. The joy of the music is hearing this gradual arc unfold and basking in the richly entwined moments along the way.
