In the Ocean

Trends in modern music at the end of the 20th century find themselves in a ocean of opportunities. That seems partly thanks to the experimental tradition in America. Three young composers from New York, Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe, organised in the mid-eighties concerts entitled ‘Bang on a Can’. They became a haven for composers with a wide variety of musical backgrounds. They were not only greatly influenced in their development by John Cage, Elliott Carter, Steve Reich and Philip Glass, but also by rock and pop music. They also founded their own ensemble ‘The Bang on a Can All-Stars’. In the Ocean looks at the state of modern music in New York at the start of the 21st century, where influences meet from all over the world. Interviews with the composers mentioned above as well as Frank Zappa and Brian Eno.