Exposé Online banner

Exposé Online

Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
Covering music from the fringes since 1993.

Reviews

Martin Archer / Claire McAllister — Mast Year
(Discus Music 207CD, 2026, CD / DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2026-04-20

Mast Year Cover art

A mast year refers to when a group of trees, communicating with chemical signals between their root systems, decide collectively to maximize their fruit production, whereas in the preceding years, the trees may have prepared for a mast year by limiting their fruit production. This recent release from Discus Music is a nine-piece song cycle that is at once powerful, unusual, and explorative, a sound that is mysterious and unexpected, free of restrictions yet quite listenable and beautiful. No less than eighteen musicians and vocalists were involved in the creation of Mast Year, which came together over a lengthy process of several years. Claire McAllister is a composer, lyricist, and vocalist (in this case sometimes singing, sometimes spoken words) while Martin Archer serves primarily as editor, arranger, and collage artist, though he is also credited with woodwinds, organ, and electronics. Also on board in prominent roles are Jan Todd (Frostlake) playing harps, tagelharpa, cello, and electronics, Laura Cole on electric piano and grand piano interior, Yvonna Magda on violin and electronics, Graham South playing trumpet, Alicia Gardener-Trejo on flutes, Nathan Bettany playing oboe, Richard Jackson on percussion, Nick Robinson on acoustic and electric guitars, Chris Warburton on bass guitar, and the trio of  Duncan Goddard, Steve Dinsdale, and Gary Houghton (ie. Radio Massacre International) doing their Berlin School thing on two cuts (“Always Never” and the title track, accompanied by a four piece choir led by Joseph Shaw). Some of the pieces are tightly composed, others more improvisational, and others a healthy mix of both. McAllister’s singing voice is stunningly beautiful on tracks like “Wild,” “Stripped,” and closer “Let the Days Be Long,” while the spoken lyrics on some of the other pieces are equally engaging. All of the tracks run together seamlessly into one long suite, and for that reason the download version features a complete version of the album with no track breaks, for those who may still own ancient players that insert spaces between the tracks. Any listener looking for something unusual and immersive, Mast Year might well be your ticket.

Filed under: New releases, 2026 releases

Related artist(s): Radio Massacre International, Martin Archer, Frostlake / Jan Todd, Claire McAllister

More info
http://discusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/mast-year-207cd-2026

 

What's new

These are the most recent changes made to artists, releases, and articles.