Laura Wolf - Calligraphy and Calculations

Laura Wolf is a producer, cellist and singer, based in Providence, Rhode Island. In advance of her upcoming album Shelf Life, she’s released an exciting single, Calligraphy and Calculations…

The track began with a sample of a clarinet riff sent to Laura by a friend during a time while she mourned the recent loss of her grandmother. “I was charmed by the wikipedia page of Kane Tanaka, the (then) oldest person alive, which listed her favorite pastimes as “calligraphy and calculations”,” Laura describes. From there she built a synth composite of cello, clarinet and vocal samples as well as all-encompassing beat-driven world to “contemplate both life’s mundane moments and those habits that keep one’s Bunsen burners aflame”.

It’s a fascinating track, with an electronic production based around a delicate vocal performance, yet edited with the occasional glitch, and surrounded by orchestral elements to drive the production forwards. It’s certainly quirky, and experimental, yet still a lovely track to enjoy…