For those unaware, esteemed cellist Erik Friedlander steps back into the musical ring with his new album Dirty Boxing. To be released on June 28th, 2024 via Skipstone Records, Friedlander’s wry look at the stark vocabulary of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is an unexpected and clever subject.

While exploring the unforeseen parallels between the disciplined artistry of music and the strategic combat of mixed martial arts, Friedlander and his band mates deliver powerful performances that weave together intensity, grace, and a touch of the fighting spirit. The resulting sonic odyssey is bound to leave listeners stunned and maybe even a little knocked out.

1. Sprawl (5:29)
2. Foot Stomp (4:41)
3. Shrimping (Mod 9) (4:44)
4. Ground & Pound (Mod 1) (3:30)
5. D’Arce (Mod 2) (3:28)
6. Contender (3:46)
7. Erik Friedlander’s The Throw - Submission (4:55)
8. Kimura (4:18)

This invigoratingly captivating new collection of songs opens on the euphorically-charged Sprawl and then brings us the jaunty Foot Stomp, the delicately-hued Shrimping (Mod 9) and the fervent Ground & Pound (Mod 1).

Along next is the playfully flirtatious D’Arce (Mod 2) and that is backed by the free-flowing Contender, the album rounding out on the languishing beauty of Erik Friedlander’s The Throw - Submission, closing on the emboldened Kimura.

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