Alex Cunningham is a violinist from St. Louis, Missouri. He performs in the free improvisation unit Vernacular String Trio, the math/noise rock group Hardbody, and in various improvised collaborative and solo settings. His most recent solo album, “Ache,” consists of a single, partially-composed piece for amplified violin. “Ache” draws on elements of minimalist composition, drone, and noise, maintaining a continuous path of swelling sound.
“The way [Cunningham] cobbles his performances together, from both traditional and extended techniques, is reminiscent of his collage work as a visual artist, which is formally meticulous and materially playful. That is another kind of movement Cunningham captures, between two spheres of musical expression. In the one, his playing might have once been called devilish, and certainly energetic, prone less to reason and more to feeling. In the other, he’s an improviser testing where and how different approaches fit, and whether they can stay within the same orbit for long.” – Brainwashed.com
https://personalarchives.bandcamp.com/album/ache