Sufjan Stevens is a fantastic composer, but this borrows heavily from the music of Steve Reich. Compare with Music for 18 Musicians, written in 1978: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCkd46hcRag
It's super cool, but this technique is nothing new. The repeated tonal pulsating percussive beat with interwoven melodic lines is the same, with voices and woodwinds floating over the surface.
What Sufjan's doing sounds gorgeous and this is a wonderful homage to Steve Reich!
Sufjan Stevens is a fantastic composer, but this borrows heavily from the music of Steve Reich. Compare with Music for 18 Musicians, written in 1978: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCkd46hcRag
It's super cool, but this technique is nothing new. The repeated tonal pulsating percussive beat with interwoven melodic lines is the same, with voices and woodwinds floating over the surface.
What Sufjan's doing sounds gorgeous and this is a wonderful homage to Steve Reich!