BIO 

Emily Rach Beisel is a Chicago-based improviser, composer, educator, curator and woodwind specialist. Beisel is known for visceral performances blending extended vocal and instrumental techniques with analogue electronics and rich bass clarinet tone.  Their solo album Particle of Organs has been described as "Operatic, wild and dark. It showcases the raw, unadulterated power of the body and the instrument, weaving together sounds that are both corrosive and tender." 

As a curator, Beisel seeks to increase the visibility and involvement of femme, trans and nonbinary artists in the creative music community. They founded the Pleiades Series at Elastic Arts, presenting monthly performances along with a community-based free improvisation jam for femme and nonbinary performers.

Beisel is a member of the contemporary ensemble Fonema Consort, touring most recently in Brazil, Mexico, Minneapolis and New York and premiering works of living composers including James Dillon, Richard Barrett and Julio Estrada. Beisel holds a Master of Music degree from Northwestern University and is a member of the American Federation of Musicians Local 10-208.

Particle of Organs:

Emily Rach Beisel 

 Bass clarinet, vocals, analog effects, amplification

Recorded October 22nd and 23rd, 2022 

at Marmalade, Chicago.

Released May 17, 2023 on Amalgam

Recorded, mixed and mastered: Bill Harris

LIVE VIDEO 

ABOUT PARTICLE OF ORGANS 

From the very first track, it becomes apparent that this album is a unique and daring exploration of sound. Particle of Organs showcases the raw, unadulterated power of the body and the instrument, weaving together sounds that are both corrosive and tender. Emily Rach Beisel seamlessly blends elements of death vocals, extended vocal and instrumental techniques, analogue timbral effects and rich bass clarinet tone, creating a sonic landscape that is both weighty and exhilarating.

While the album can be challenging to listen to at times, there are moments of lyricism and tenderness that provide a welcome respite from the intensity. Tracks such as “warm upon your face” and “as a Jian-bird alone” showcase Beisel's ability to create beauty from chaos, weaving together delicate melodies with more abrasive elements.

Overall, Particle of Organs is a daring, uncompromising album that moves effortlessly through disparate styles and sound worlds. Beisel's use of the body and instrument as sources of unexpected sound is nothing short of breathtaking, and the result is an album that is both physically commanding and deeply rewarding.