24 Postcards In Full Colour

The German-born, UK-based composer creates an album of exquisite sonic miniatures-- 24 pieces in around half an hour-- designed to be used as ringtones.

The acclaim Max Richter has earned for works like The Blue Notebooks hasn't tempted him to outdo himself with ever more elaborate, grandiose projects -- in fact, 24 Postcards in Full Colour is just the opposite: a collection of pieces intended as ringtones, the album's longest track is a petite two-minutes-and-fifty-some seconds, and its palette is restricted to solo piano, string quartet, acoustic guitar, and less obvious sources such as shortwave radio transmissions and transistors.

Max Richter - 24 Postcards in Full Colour review: What is an experiment for ringtones unfortunately amounts to a disappointing listen when compared to the composer's past work.