If Sufjan Stevens is going to complete his 50-state album cycle, he’s going to have to get a move on – it’s now four years since the release of Illinois, without any real sign of a follow up.
In fact, he seems to be narrowing his focus, with the announcement of the impending release of “The BQE,” an homage to the Brooklyn-Queens-Expressway, coming October 20 from Asthmatic Kitty. Originally a piece commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the package will include a DVD copy of the film, directed by the Detroit-born singer-songwriter himself, the CD soundtrack, a 40 page booklet, and either a comic book (if you buy the vinyl version) or, bizarrely enough, a View-Master reel (if you get the CD version).
Stevens’ music is undeniably cinematic — witness it stealing the show on the “Little Miss Sunshine” soundtrack, but in this instrumental context without words [ed. or his fey voice] it sounds thrilling. Almost like a Disney-like “Fantasia” piece and it’ll be interesting to see his chops as a filmmaker. The tracklisting and trailer for “The BQE” can be seen below, and it’ll be out on Asthmatic Kitty on Oct 20th (or on Rough Trade in the U.K. the day before…)
Tracklist
1. Prelude on the Esplanade (2:56)
2. Introductory Fanfare for the Hooper Heroes (1:07)
3. Movement I—In the Countenance of Kings (5:19)
4. Movement II—Sleeping Invader (4:34)
5. Interlude I—Dream Sequence in Subi Circumnavigation (3:33)
6. Movement III—Linear Tableau with Intersecting Surprise (4:09)
7. Movement IV—Traffic Shock (3:24)
8. Movement V—Self-Organizing Emergent Patterns (3:45)
9. Interlude II—Subi Power Waltz (0:28)
10. Interlude III—Invisible Accidents (0:54)
11. Movement VI—Isorhythmic Night Dance with Interchanges (3:17)
12. Movement VII (Finale)—The Emperor of Centrifuge (3:51)
13. Postlude—Critical Mass (2:59)
– Oliver Lyttelton