
Listen to Kim Perlak and Francisco Mela's New Album, Recorded in a Single Afternoon The duo's debut album, Spaces, recorded live without edits or overdubs, is a testament to risk-taking, real-time connection, and crossing musical boundaries.
By
Tara Bellucci
April 25, 2025
Francisco Mela and Kim Perlak performing in January 2025
Image by Bryan Lasky
Collaboration is a constant on Berklees campus, and it doesnt stop with students. Spaces, an album by Kim Perlak, chair of the Guitar Department, and Francisco Mela, associate professor of percussion, is out April 25.
Spaces was recorded live face-to-face in one afternoon as single takes without edits, and is comprised of four three-movement suites, each one conjuring a vivid portrait of the natural environment. These blossom into intimate duo pieces with the addition of Mela's improvised percussion. The final piece, Squam Suite, is a wholly improvised work, revealing the chemistry discovered by Perlak and Mela in a short time.
The two faculty members first performed together in 2022 as part of a tribute to guitarist and educator Mick Goodrick. Shortly after, Mela approached Perlak about playing her music. I have so much respect and admiration for Mela, Perlak said. I didnt even think about it-I immediately said yes. He made me feel so comfortable and natural about it that I forgot to be nervous.
Francisco Mela and Kim Perlak
Courtesy of the artists
While they might seem an odd musical pairing-Perlak comes from a classical guitar background and Mela is known for improvisational jazz percussion-the result is magical. Francisco Mela and I are of different generations, different backgrounds, from different countries. We play two styles that are often seen as opposing. . . . There wasn't one person on the floor of either of our departments that wasn't completely surprised that we were forming a duo! Perlak said. This project would never have come about if we didn't care about one another.
She hopes that Spaces inspires others to take a risk and create something outside their comfort zone with someone who might be of a different genre or style. The power of personal connection, she said, is even more important in the digital age of solitude and separation.
Mela and I create space for each other and then we find space in the music, she said. Playing together has been a freeing experience. Each time we get together, its almost like weve started to communicate even before we start to play. The moment we see each other, we instantly enter a listening mode.
The Berklee connection doesnt stop at Mela and Perlak. Randy Roos '78, a Latin Grammy-winning engineer and faculty member, created a custom set up in his New Hampshire studio to allow for this through-composed, real-time collaboration, with the engineer situated in the room with the performers. This rare type of recording allows the artists and the engineer to communicate fully, and puts the listener in the center of the ensemble. Though its possible improvised, single-take albums may become more popular; Andr 3000s 2023 project New Blue Sun topped Billboards New Age chart in its first week.
Inspired by nature, Lake, Stream, and Riverwalk were originally solo guitar pieces composed by Perlak. Lake was written during a family vacation in a waterfront cottage in central Massachusetts, while Stream makes reference to an actual stream flowing trough the Berkshires as well as the stream of consciousness that wends from the water into the composer's imagination. Riverwalk was Perlak's first-ever composition, sparked by regular strolls along the Charles River. Squam Suite was spontaneously co-composed and inspired by the lake view outside Roos recording studio.
Space is a natural theme in Spaces-both in the music and improvisational style, but also in the way the recording makes space for each artist, the engineer, and the listener to come together. It brings the audience out of their daily lives and into the experience, Perlak said.
I also think it serves as a symbol to students to make space for one another in many different ways, she said. I can't think of a better reflection of Berklees values than that!
Listen to Spaces below:
Related Categories
News
Most Popular
Toto in the recording studio from Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary.
Photograph by Jim Hagopian/HBO
The Best Music Documentaries on Every Streaming Platform Explore groundbreaking music documentaries streaming across Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, and more. From intimate artist portraits to legendary concert films, discover the stories behind your favorite artists and iconic moments.
Latest
Berklee Online CEO and Cofounder Debbie Cavalier (left) and the Dominican Republic's Minister of Culture Roberto ngel Salcedo (right) shook hands after signing an articulation transfer agreement at Berklee's Boston campus on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.
Image by Matthew Ryu
Berklee Online Signs Transfer Articulation with Conservatorio Nacional de M sica The new agreement allows CNM students in the Dominican Republic to transfer into an online bachelor's degree program through Berklee.
Park National will be the first band to tour Europe with the Berklee Popular Music Institute this May.
Asher Thomas
Berklee Popular Music Institute Announces UK Festival Debut and Tour Dates For the first time, BPMI will bring Berklee-affiliated artists and students to the European live music market.
Grigori Balasanyan BM '25, composition.
Image courtesy of the artist
Student Spotlight: Grigori Balasanyan The Armenian composer, who was named Boston Conservatory at Berklees 2025 student commencement speaker, talks about his operas premiere and the documentary being made about it, as well as his plans to continue his education at Boston Conservatory.
Read All
S
Most recent headlines
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
16/05/2025
NEW YORK Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Ad Sales has unveiled NEO and DemoDirect, two advertising solutions it said will provide clients with more effective and ef...
16/05/2025
As Hollywood tries to digest the potential impact of President Donald Trump's proposal to impose tariffs on foreign-produced films, Netflix has broken groun...
16/05/2025
Berklee Announces Jonathan Mahoney as the New Dean for Pre-College, Online, and ...
16/05/2025
Two HIV vaccine trials show proof of concept for pathway to broadly neutralizing antibodies North American and African clinical trials led by Scripps Research, ...
15/05/2025
PARK CITY, UTAH JANUARY 20: Skye P. Marshall, Omari Hardwick, Cory Hardrict, Qasim Basir, Dana Gourrier, and Amin Joseph attend the 2023 Sundance Film Festiva...
15/05/2025
Director of photography Benjamin Kasulke, actors Katie Henney and Hannah Marks, ...
15/05/2025
Australia's boldest network SBS launches new brand campaign: We Go There...
15/05/2025
We Go There SBS On Demand's new Hub is entirely bold and unmistakably SBS
15 May, 2025
Media releases
The We Go There Hub brings together over 300 ti...
15/05/2025
Airbus U.S. Space & Defense and L3Harris Technologies announced a teaming agreem...
15/05/2025
Mexico City - May 15, 2025 - Nielsen, the global leader in audience measurement, data, and analytics, announced the expansion of its streaming measurement panel...
15/05/2025
NEW YORK Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Ad Sales today unveiled NEO and DemoDirect, two new solutions that the company said will provide advertisers with more effe...
15/05/2025
NEP Europe is utilizing technology and teams from across Europe for this year's Eurovision Song Contest....
15/05/2025
TAMPA BAY, Fla. & CINCINNATI, Ohio The Tampa Bay Lightning have inked a multi-year media rights agreement with Scripps Sports that gives it rights to produce an...
15/05/2025
NEW YORK Warner Bros. Discovery announced during its upfront presentation that Max, the company's streaming platform, will be rebranded as HBO Max this summ...
15/05/2025
LONDON 7fivefive said it will expand its work for BBC Studios' Global Media & Streaming team and that it is helping the U.K. public broadcaster's studio...
15/05/2025
STAMFORD, Conn. Charter Communications, Inc. has named Jake Perlman executive vice president, chief technology and information officer (CTIO)....
15/05/2025
ACT Entertainment is proud to announce that Vice President of Talent Mike Schmid has been honored with a Gold Stevie Award as Human Resources Executive of the ...
15/05/2025
Arabsat, a leading global satellite operator and the primary provider of satellite services across the Arab world, has partnered with Grass Valley, the technolo...
15/05/2025
Leading media technology and services provider Tyrell, who has supported the broadcast, post-production, production, VFX, and corporate markets in the UK and Ir...
15/05/2025
At Broadcast Asia 2025, LiveU will demonstrate its latest mission-critical IP-video solutions within its expanded EcoSystem, designed to add efficiency and shor...
15/05/2025
Delivering High-Performance Network Switches Designed for Lightware AV Workflows
Lightware, a leading manufacturer of connectivity solutions for the profession...
15/05/2025
Cerberus Tech, a leader in cloud-native IP video contribution and distribution, today announced that the company has been named a finalist in the 2025 StreamTV ...
15/05/2025
BroadcastAsia 2025 Exhibitor Preview
May 27-29
Singapore Expo
Stand 5F3-5
For today's broadcasters, telcos, content owners, and streaming platforms, eff...
15/05/2025
Marshall Electronics will spotlight its Elite Series of PTZ Cameras at InfoComm 2025 (Booth 3843). Marshall's Elite Series of PTZ cameras includes the CV630...
15/05/2025
ACT Entertainment, the industry-leading manufacturer and distributor of live performance equipment, announces that it has been selected as a U.S. distributor fo...
15/05/2025
TAG Video Systems will be presenting its latest advancements in real time video monitoring, probing, and visualization at Broadcast Asia 2025 in Booth 5D1-1 (Ma...
15/05/2025
Clear-Com is set to showcase its latest products at InfoComm 2025, taking place from June 7-13 in Orlando Florida. Clear-Com will present attendees with a hand...
15/05/2025
Amagi, a cloud-based SaaS technology solutions provider for broadcast and streaming TV, has appointed Emma Whitmore as its new Senior Vice President of Sales, E...
15/05/2025
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, gaming and more, is further...
15/05/2025
NAKIVO Inc., a leading vendor of data protection solutions for physical, virtual, cloud, and SaaS environments, announced strong operational results for Q1 2025...
15/05/2025
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Tania Le n and Kelli O'Hara at Commenc...
15/05/2025
John Yao Awarded Guggenheim Fellowship for Interactive Jazz Project The Berklee professor and trombonist will debut Let's Make Some Noise, an immersive bi...
15/05/2025
Continued delivery across four strategic pillars provides foundation for multi-year scalable growth
Strong balance sheet, USD 895 million in cash and nearly US...
15/05/2025
X-Rite Launches CiF3200 Imaging Benchtop Spectrophotometer for Precision Small-S...
15/05/2025
15 May 2025
VEON 1Q25 Earnings Release: Strong Start to 2025, Digital Revenues ...
15/05/2025
May 15th, 2025 Press Materials Available Here
Tribeca Festival And CHANEL Present A Through Her Lens Conversation On June 6
Riley Keough and production partn...
15/05/2025
Save 20% or More on Ivory 3 American Concert D or Ivory 3 German D from now until the end of May!Elevate your musical experience with these revolutionary Ivory ...
15/05/2025
PGA Championship: CBS Sports Rolls Out 5G-Powered AR, FlyCams, RailCam, 4K Bunke...
15/05/2025
PGA Championship: ESPN To Produce 225+ Hours of Live Play on Multiple Platforms Expanded ESPN BET' telecast, live SportsCenter' segments add to a full...
15/05/2025
This City Is Ours: The Continuing Evolution of Manchester City's City Studio...
15/05/2025
The sun-drenched chase thriller launches on Sky and NOW later this yearThursday ...
15/05/2025
Thursday 15 May 2025
To view this content, please enable our use of cookies. To...
15/05/2025
Back to All News
Trailer for Lost in Starlight' Offers a Vibrant and Heart...
15/05/2025
Back to All News
Reflecting on a Year of Progress in Accessibility and Whats Ahead
Heather Dowdy
Director of Product Accessibility
Product
15 May 2025
Glo...
15/05/2025
A Reflection on 20 years of NAB booth builds and the Evolution of Grass Valley AMPPAt NAB, I had a moment to reflect on just how dramatically our approach to pr...
15/05/2025
The Football Association of Ireland and RT have today announced a new two-year ...
15/05/2025
Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on ...
15/05/2025
AI is creating value for everyone - from researchers in drug discovery to quantitative analysts navigating financial market changes.
The faster an AI system ca...
15/05/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales fully supports the success of Vipps, Norw...