jason (FMA Admin)

This fantastic self-titled album by the San Cristóbal Orquesta is the distillation of 10-hours' worth of recordings made by students, aged 17-20, from a special education school in San Cristóbal, Spain. The project was coordinated by La Bisogno in collaboration with the Laboral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial. La Bisogno is a cultural organiation from Avilés, Spain, working on several projects -- including radio through Radiadora -- that focuses on new media culture, technology, and social inclusion through educational events, workshops, and art projects. The San Cristóbal Orquesta is the result of La Bisogna's first MADI (Música  Avanzada y Discapacidad Intelectual), a workshop that seeks to extend their mission to young people with disabilities through artistic expression.

The students were given a whole range of instruments -- zithers, ukeleles, electric guitars, electronic drums, music boxes, xylomatics, xylophones, midi controllers, field recordings, reactivision software, effect pedals, acoustic & electric bass -- and the recording session took place from April 6-10 in the Palacio de Maqua in Avilés. The documentary video (after the jump) provides a neat window into the process.

The CD digipack is available here, and it has been receiving a lot of airplay at WFMU, and we're happy to share the mp3s here on the Free Music Archive.

More info/band website: http://labisogno.org/sancristobalorquesta