While releasing contemporary classical music works through my elsewhere music label, I occasionally find myself drawn to pieces that evoke the pop-rock of the '60s and '70s (one of my formative experiences as a youth), new works by contemporary singer-songwriters that conjure that era's atmosphere. For this reason, I have occasionally released song albums in the past, most notably The Giving Shapes and Shoko Numao.

I played the guitar and sang in several bands during high school in the early '80s. Back then, I loved older songs that felt simpler and more genuine than the music from that decade. Whenever I hear music that I listened to during that time, or pop rock that my friends in other bands played (Rod Stewart covers, etc.), or any music reminiscent of that era, it brings back memories of that special, exciting, joyful time in my youth. 

Recently, I came across another collection of songs reminiscent of the pop-rock spirit of that era. The simple, pure sincerity of these works strikes straight to my heart, much like my favorite pop-rock songs of old time, and they deeply resonate with me. 

Each year, I've grown to appreciate the beauty of these nostalgic experiences more and more. To share these works, I am launching a sub-label called "elsesong" as an homage to '60s and '70s pop rock, which is completely separate from my main elsewhere music label. 

The purpose of this sub-label is to share these works that I love with as many people as possible digitally and via streaming, just like how I used to listen to songs on the radio when I was young. So, I will release these works exclusively digitally and via streaming.

For those familiar with the direction my label has taken so far, the releases on this sub-label might seem puzzling. But I have a strong desire to bring the work I love to the world, regardless of genre, so I am following my instincts and proceeding.

I will make a further announcement in the near future regarding the first project, elsesong 001.

​- Yuko

Very happy to share the cover design for Maya Bennardo - rustlings (elsewhere 040), to be released in late March. CD preorders will start by mid-February. 

cover photography by Kristofer Svensson
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Very happy to share the cover design for Adrián Demoč - Flute (Manuel Zurria) (elsewhere 039), to be released in late March. CD preorders will hopefully start by mid-February.

Cover painting by Maria Filippakopoulou.

We are thrilled to announce another upcoming release on elsewhere, scheduled for March 2026.

Maya Bennardo - rustlings (elsewhere 040)

'rustlings' is an album of two pieces written by Stockholm-based violinist and composer Maya Bennardo. One of the pieces, 'dormant gardens i' (2022), was written for and performed by andPlay, a duo of Bennardo on violin and Hannah Levinson on viola. The other, 'summer rustlings' (2024), is a solo violin piece performed by Bennardo.

Both pieces were inspired by Bennardo's move to Sweden from New York City, where she developed a new relationship with nature through walking. Her solo and compositional practices are deeply tied to the violin, with which she explores the acoustic nature and blossoming of three-note chords on string instruments. With a sense of serenity underlying the vibrant string sounds, the violin and viola convey a sharp, piercing clarity reminiscent of Nordic light. The music is permeated by the starkness and raw vitality of nature, devoid of sentimentality. Its refreshing purity borders on austerity, as does its powerful transparency, which culminates in a breathtaking moment when the sequence of sounds sculpts the silence with intense beauty near the end of 'summer rustlings'.

Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Maya Bennardo and Mike Tierney at Fieldnotes Studio in Brooklyn, NYC. 

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TRACKLIST

1. dormant gardens i  (2022)  
performed by andPlay (Maya Bennardo - violin, Hannah Levinson - viola)

2. summer rustlings  (2024)  
performed by Maya Bennardo

(release date: March 30, 2026)
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