Now it's finally here, in the form of a magnificent double album, Data Lords . . . it parses into thematic halves, "The Digital World" and, as an antidote, "The Natural World." On the whole and in the details, it amounts to the most daring work of Schneider's career, which sets the bar imposingly high. This is music of extravagant mastery, and it comes imbued with a spirit of risk ...
– Nate Chinen, npr.com (read in entirety)
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Schneider’s craft and judgment are such that music in the eerie, dystopian world has the marvellous feeling for structure, pacing and often sheer beauty that listeners who know Schneider’s music will be expecting. . . .
There are instrumental glories throughout this album, but the work of the low brass both as section and as individuals is quite unbelievable and is caught exceptionally well on the recording. Whereas Wagner once said “don’t look at the trombones, it only encourages them", I had the sense that Maria Schneider must keep looking at the trombones a lot. And they certainly deliver here.
– Sebastian Scotney, TheArtsDesk.com (read in entirety)
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“Data Lords,” released on Friday, is her magnum opus, a riveting, remarkably intense double album, as profound as modern-day instrumental music gets.
– Jon Bream, Minneapolis Star Tribune (read in entirety)
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Steve Wilson - alto/soprano/clarinet/flute/alto flute
Dave Pietro - alto/clarinet/piccolo/flute/alto flute
Rich Perry - tenor
Donny McCaslin - tenor/flute
Scott Robinson - baritone/Bb, bass & contra-bass clarinets/muson
Tony Kadleck - trumpet/flügelhorn
Greg Gisbert - trumpet/flügelhorn
Nadje Noordhuis - trumpet/flügelhorn
Mike Rodriguez - trumpet/flügelhorn
Keith O'Quinn - trombone
Ryan Keberle - trombone
Marshall Gilkes - trombone
George Flynn - bass trombone
Gary Versace - accordion
Ben Monder - guitar
Frank Kimbrough - piano
Jay Anderson - bass
Johnathan Blake - drums/percussion
All compositions by Maria Schneider
Produced by Brian Camelio, Maria Schneider and Ryan Truesdell
Associate Producer: Zachary Bornheimer
Recorded at Oktaven Audio, Mount Vernon, NY August 30–September 2nd, 2019
Engineered by Brian Montgomery
Assisted by Charles Mueller and Edwin Huet
Trumpet electronics programming on "CQ CQ, Is Anybody There?" by Michael Lenssen
Recording production assistance by Eunha So
Mixed by Brian Montgomery and Maria Schneider
Mastered by Gene Paul at G&J Audio, and Nate Wood
Video documentation on ArtistSare by Marie Le Claire, assisted by Erin Harper
Package Design: Illustration by Aaron Horkey, Graphic design by Cheri Dorr
Session photography by Briene Lermitte