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
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
12/01/2026
Sports and Music Unite: A Look Back at the Operationally Ambitious FIFA Club Wor...
12/01/2026
Nielsen Panel Discussion Highlights World Cup Impact for FOX, Telemundo, MetLife...
12/01/2026
FIFA President Infantino Highlights How AI Will Impact 2026 FIFA World Cup and B...
12/01/2026
Baltimore Ravens' Jack Dana on Telling a Better Story With Media Management ...
12/01/2026
FOX Sports' Brad Cheney on Spectrum Debate's Impact on the Sports-Produc...
12/01/2026
Spotify's new co-CEOs, Alex Norstr m and Gustav S derstr m, start off the new year with a message of renewed leadership, creative responsibility, and what&#...
12/01/2026
At Spotify, we listen to a lot of music. And every year, our global editors and artist partnerships teams come together to spotlight the emerging voices we beli...
12/01/2026
Spotify's global editors and Songwriter & Publisher Partnerships team spend their days immersed in new music, tracking the writers behind the songs breaking...
12/01/2026
Nominations open for the fifth Australia for UNHCR - SBS Les Murray Award for Re...
12/01/2026
Australia and New Zealand VP Alan Clements shares L3Harris' leadership insig...
12/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
12/01/2026
Berklee International Folk Festival Celebrates 40 Years Featuring Grammy-winning alumna Arooj Aftab, the milestone concert and weeklong festival marks four de...
12/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
12/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
12/01/2026
X-Rite and Rhopoint Launch Rhopoint PANTORA Aesthetix to Streamline Creation of...
12/01/2026
12 Jan 2026
VEON's Kyivstar Launches 5G Pilot in Lviv Lviv, January 12, 2026 - VEON, a global digital operator (Nasdaq: VEON), today announces that Kyivsta...
12/01/2026
Monday 12 January 2026
The ultimate betrayal: Harry and Jamie Redknapp, Paul Me...
12/01/2026
Rohde & Schwarz opens larger office in Japan to increase its support for the Jap...
12/01/2026
Back to All News
WWE By the Numbers: Celebrating One Year on Netflix
From left to right: Rey Mysterio, Intercontinental Champion John Cena and Sheamus celebr...
12/01/2026
Welcome to the AVECO team: introducing new members of management
At AVECO, we are continuing to implement our #newAVECO strategy, which aims to build an even s...
12/01/2026
For the first time in the nine-year history of Dancing with the Stars, the first...
10/01/2026
By Bailey Pennick
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festi...
10/01/2026
This year, podcasts are making their Golden Globes debut with a new category honoring the medium's leading shows and creators. To mark the occasion, Spotify...
10/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
10/01/2026
Back to All News
Connection and Youth Defined: The Ramparts of Ice Brings a Hea...
09/01/2026
Rock-It Sports' Deron Brown & Laura Rowlands on Launching a New Brand, Suppl...
09/01/2026
Warner Bros. Discovery's Chris Brown on the Broadcaster's First French O...
09/01/2026
NFL Playoffs 2026: CBS Sports Travels to Jacksonville With Packed Arsenal of Pro...
09/01/2026
NFL Playoffs 2026: NBC Sports Is Set To Roll Out New Scorebar, Insert Graphics T...
09/01/2026
NFL Playoffs 2026: Prime Video Production Team Caps Historic Season With Iconic ...
09/01/2026
NFL Playoffs 2026: FOX Sports Kicks Off Postseason Slate With Two-Game Wild Card...
09/01/2026
NFL Playoffs 2026: ESPN's Run Brings Monday Night Football' Flagship Op...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
09/01/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today introduced the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning...
09/01/2026
Globecast, the leading provider of broadcast, media and entertainment managed services, today announced the appointment of Chris Pulis as Group Chief Technology...
09/01/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today announced several updates to its board of directors. As part of HPA s annual governance cycle, new leadership...
09/01/2026
SDVI, the leading platform provider for cloud-native media supply chains, today announced that Simon Eldridge has been appointed chief operating officer. In thi...
09/01/2026
Cobalt Digital, the leading designer and manufacturer of award-winning ST 2110 and SDI signal processing products, and a founding partner in the openGear initi...
09/01/2026
iWedia, a global leader in connected TV software solutions, announces that its market-proven ATSC 3.0 software stack is powering the broadcast functionality of ...
09/01/2026
Amino, a global leader in enterprise video and digital signage technology, today announced a strategic partnership with Xibo, a leading global digital signage s...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
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.
