New York based cellist and composer Mariel Roberts has announced the release of a new album called Armament which will be out on February 5th, 2021 via Figureight Records. “Arrow” is the first excerpt which was recorded – like the rest of the album – in a spider-infested makeshift studio in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
According to the press release, she will release a rare album of new improvised solo works, recorded with key NY experimental head Patrick Higgins at the mixing desk and released on Shahzad Ismaily’s figureight records.
Armament was created as a series of unedited improvised pieces for cello and pedals, reflecting not only Mariel Roberts’ extraordinary abilities as a cellist, but also a profoundly unique creative voice responding to a deeply troubled environment. “The tone of the material, and the title, reflect what was going on both globally and personally for me at the time,” Mariel writes. “The idea of an “armament” is a collection of weapons, and when I chose that title I was thinking about how nearly everything feels weaponized right now- things that should not be weapons are being used as such.”