Neuma Records presents ‘Dystophilia’ (2024) New Album on Neuma Records ,’Transmutation of Things’ feat. Vocals/Lizzie Lyon Albany Records, ’Saturation Velocity’ feat. Keith Kirchoff/Piano, Bryan Holt/Cello

M C Maguire

Composer / Producer

416-669-5720
mcmaguire@rogers.com
  • New Works
    • Cooped! (2025)
    • Without! (2025)
  • CDs
    • Dystophilia (2024)
    • Transmutation of Things (2022)
    • Saturation Velocity (2020)
    • Nothing Left to Destroy (2011)
    • Trash of Civilizations (2009)
    • Meta-Conspiracy (2007)

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MC MaguireBio

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M C Maguire is a composer/producer who has created a very quirky post-modern hybrid that combines classical, pop, jazz, electro-acoustic, and world music traditions. He works primarily in his studios’ multi-track environment (up to 400 tracks) combining live recording, sampling, synths, exotic plugins, and digital editing possibilities. The finished product usually consists of a rigid, hierarchical, multi-layered construct, which is mathematically proportioned to reflect the philosophical / psychological thrust of each individual work’s raison d’être.

His 6th CD, Dystophilia, was released in January 2024 on Neuma Records, featuring two large works for orchestra and electronics. His fifth CD, Transmutation of Things (2022) was was also released on Neuma Records. The previous Cds consist of Saturation Velocity( 2020)  on Albany Record, Nothing Left to Destroy (2011),  on Innova Records, and Trash of Civilizations (2009) on Innova Records. Finally, his first CD, Meta-Conspiracy, was released on John Zorn’s label, Tzadik, in 2007.

Reviews of his work include:”a knock-down, awe-inspiring stunner, Maguire disentangling sounds already ripped from their categorical moorings, fastidiously piling layer upon layer of elementary sonic detritus that crash in a tsunami of headrush crescendoes. Faint wisps of compositional recognition arise here and there but even if the classical pieces inform the bedrock on which Maguire builds, he’s too busy warping it all out of sense that sensibility is effectively obliterated. Symphonic sections swell only to be immediately handswiped by frenzied rhythmic mash-ups; ghostly chorales rise out of the murk for a few desperate moments then vanish into quicksand; frequencies collide with a nuclear energy akin to comets striking the sun. This is plunderphonics of gargantuan proportions, grand gestures born from a car-crash aftermath. It’s ‘classical’ music for the schizophrenic masses”

Also“it sounded as though Conlon Nancarrow had lived to re-imagine his impossible piano pieces in the sampler age“, “the most irritating and spellbinding composer since Philip Glass”, “the most original Canadian composer since R. Murray Schafer “, “Roll over Claude Vivier”, “will likely attract the same kind of cult following as Frank Zappa”, ‘Such thunderous stuff that you won’t know what hit you, none of the clichés or tropes of the pretenders are evident here. All you can do is strap yourself in and prepare for a wild ride’,” brushes away the dust from all classical music”,” New Music got newer”, “it destroys all the accepted ideas about aesthetics and beauty in Art”, ”one of the most astonishing CDs I’ve ever heard”, “a daunting brilliance exploding from the music”, “a long punch to the plexus that opens up your ears and saturates your brain cells”, “Guru of electronic manipulation”, ”This is music to completely drown yourself in and then end with a quiet ‘Amen’ “, “sprinkles a gleeful pee all over the world of genteel music-making”, ”Welcome to the future?”,” the supreme postmodernist”, ”we stand in awe of these mammoth constructions”, ”the music brims with ideas and abundant pleasures”, ”on the edge of a damaging collapse of the senses”, “teaches us something about ourselves and our culture”, “indescribably awesome stuff”, “absolutely nuts”, and “works to be heard to be believed”.

His work has been performed at Lincoln Center, the Victoriaville Festival in Quebec, the Stone and the Bang on a Can Marathon in NYC (4 times). Many performances have also occurred in his native Vancouver and his current residence, Toronto. Recently, Pianist Keith Kirchoff toured ‘Short History of Lounge’ through England, the U.S., and Mexico.

MC Maguire received his bachelors and Masters from UBC, Vancouver and did post-graduate work at Guildhall, London, and private study in Heidelberg, Germany. He also did Doctoral Studies at Eastman School of Music.

Major Works

2025 ‘Without’ for Orchestra and CPU
2024 “Cooped” for Orchestra and CPU
2023 “Another Lucid Dream” (27 Mins) for Orchestra and CPU
2022 ‘Yummy World” (23 mins) for Orchestra and CPU
2021 “Predisposition” (30 mins) for Orchestra and CPU
2021 ” Apophis’ (42 mins) for Orchestra and CPU
2020 ‘Shadow of Wings’ (47 mins) for piano and CPU
2019 ‘a Teenage Dream’ (28 mins) for piano and CPU
2018 ‘Sade auf Kashmir’ (21 mins) for cello and CPU
 2010 ‘S’Wonderful (that the man I love is watching over me)’(26mins) for flute and CPU
 2009 ‘Discofication of the Mongols’ (35 mins.)  for violin and CPU
 2008 ‘The Spawn of Abe’ (27 mins.) for clarinet, oboe and CPU
 2007 ‘Narcissus auf Bali’ (39 mins.) for marimba, vibes, and CPU.
 2006 ‘Got that Crazy, Latin/Metal Feelin’ (27.mins.) for electric guitar and CPU.
 2006 ‘A Short History of Lounge’ (23 mins.)  for  piano and CPU.
 2000 ‘South African Black Ops eat Crow’ (1 hour) ballet for CPU
 1999 ‘Brunnhilde: Uber Model / Soccer-Mom oder Lesbo Fem-Nazi ?'(4 mins) for soprano, wind-controller, electric guitar, bass guitar, and drums
 1993 Tristan, Doris, And Geraldo’ (18 mins.) for piano and CPU.
 1992 ‘A Hole in my Heart’ (18 mins.) text by Karen Connelly mezzo, vibes, tape
 1991 ‘Discipline, Obedience, and Submission’ (25 mins) for  flute, oboe, clarinet, viola, bass, guitar, tape
 1991 ‘The Idiot’ (2 1/2 hrs) 0pera for 12 singers, tape
 1990 ‘Twenty-four Keys to World Domination’ (12 Mins.) for synthesizer, tape
 1990 ‘Love is Stronger than Pride’ (25 mins) for alto sax, vibes, electric organ, tape
 1989 ‘Dance around the Throne’ (15 mins.) for orchestra, tape
 1988 ‘Seven Years’ (43 Mins.) for flute, horn, alto sax, cello, marimba,piano, electric guitar, tape

Interviews

with Innova Records’ Philip Blackburn

  • May 2013      Innova Records    http://www.innova.mu/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO-aojvflCA

Radio Interview Tom Schulte’s ‘Outsight Radio’

  • November 2011             outsight@usa.net               USA

http://www.archive.org/details/McMaguireInterviewOnOutsightRadioHours

 

  • New Works
    • Cooped! (2025)
    • Without! (2025)
  • CDs
    • Dystophilia (2024)
    • Transmutation of Things (2022)
    • Saturation Velocity (2020)
    • Nothing Left to Destroy (2011)
    • Trash of Civilizations (2009)
    • Meta-Conspiracy (2007)

Copyright © 2025 M C Maguire ·