Max Richter shares his love of Haruki Murakami ahead of Barbican-curated weekend

04 May 2018, 08:15 | Written by The Line of Best Fit

(News)

(Max Richter) (Talk The Line)

The German-born British composer Max Richter tells us why the work of writer Haruki Murakami is special to him in this week's episode of Talk The Line, our podcast exploring the passions and obsessions of the artists we love.

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Richter was one of the first composers to combine classical and electronic elements with a post-rock sensibility – something which was radical when he began his career at the start of the 21st century. As one of the most influential voices in post-minimalist composition, he's also made a name for himself as a prolific writer of music for film, television and stage. His work has been featured in films from the likes of Martin Scorsese and Denis Villeneuve and he’s scored an episode of Black Mirror as well as HBO show The Leftovers.

This month sees expanded new editions of Max’s cannon-defining record The Blue Notebooks released in celebration of its 15th anniversary. Max is also in London to co-curate Sound and Visions, a marathon weekend event at the Barbican. Working with his longtime collaborator artist Yulia Mahr, the pair have put together an ambitious programme that includes the first full-scale live performance in the UK of Max’s 2010 album Infra along with sets from the likes of ambient producer Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and American saxophonist Colin Stetson.

Sound and Visions runs at the Barbican in London from 11—14 May. Find out more over on the Barbican website.

In our weekly podcast Talk the Line, we meet the people we love from music, film and television to find out about their passions and obsessions. A new episode drops every Friday - catch up with the episodes you've missed or subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, Overcast, TuneIn or Google Play (US listeners only).