By: Elena Mishkin
New York-based composer and vocalist Chen Shuhe Yue is gaining attention in the contemporary music scene with the recent release of diceXfriends, an ambitious and genre-blurring new album she produced, curated, and performed in. Released under Chaospace Records, the album reflects Chen’s vision for collaborative creation, experimental soundscapes, and cross-ensemble dialogue.
Produced by Chaospace Records, a label recognized for its focus on contemporary, experimental, and avant-garde classical music, diceXfriends features Dice Trio as the central ensemble, collaborating with six other groups—Phonotonic, The Dolphins Quartet, Chaospace, Folx Percussion, Vision Quartet, and Becky—across six distinct tracks. Each piece offers a unique sonic identity, composed by a diverse roster including Leni Kreienberg, Stephen Morris, Giuseppe Gallo-Balma, Erich Barganier, Grace Goss, and Chen herself, contributing to the album’s exploratory spirit under the Chaospace Records banner.
Photo Courtesy: Dice Trio / Chaospace Records
At the heart of the project is Chen Shuhe Yue’s own composition, The Last Day in Tate, consisting of six miniatures that blend voice with solo instruments. Inspired by six paintings she encountered at London’s Tate Modern last summer, Chen composed each piece as a response to the visual artwork—without referring to any program notes—allowing her intuitive emotional reactions to shape the musical narrative.
The resulting miniatures display a wide range of textures and styles. Each pairs Chen’s voice with a different instrumentalist: Adeline DeBella, Sam Friedman, Grace Pressley, Ian Manlony, Luke Henderson, and McKenzie Squires. One notable piece, La Cena, for voice and cello, imagines a story behind a painting, using fragmented vocalizations and layered cello timbres to suggest shadow-like characters in a whimsical, mysterious atmosphere. Another work, a voice-less duet with percussion, replaces singing with the sound of rubbing and crumpling paper—interweaving delicate paper textures with the glockenspiel’s clear tones to hint at memory, tension, and psychological depth.
As both executive producer and lead artist, Chen played a key role in shaping the artistic direction of the entire project. Her approach emphasized organic creativity over rigid structures, fostering an environment where spontaneous musical conversations could flourish. “I wanted to create a space where musicians could freely express their individuality while still engaging in meaningful collaboration,” she said. “The idea was to let intuition guide creation—and to remain open to the unknown. Sometimes, the most interesting artistic discoveries happen when you surrender control and trust the process.”
Photo Courtesy: Freddie Zhu
The album was officially launched on March 2nd at a sold-out release concert at Rodney’s on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. All seven participating ensembles performed selections from the album, earning positive feedback from audiences and critics for the project’s adventurous experimentation and expressive depth.
Yue Chen is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition at the Manhattan School of Music, where she studies under Reiko Füting and David Adamcyk. With diceXfriends, Chen Shuhe Yue further establishes herself not only as an inventive composer and evocative performer but also as a forward-thinking producer, contributing to the future of new music.
Her work spans solo, chamber, opera, music theater, electronic, multimedia, and installation art and has been performed by distinguished ensembles worldwide, such as the Jack Quartet, PHACE Ensemble, Windscape, and ICE.
Photo Courtesy: Freddie Zhu
Published by Jeremy S.
