Session musicians are the temps of the music world-bands built to disband. That can make finding them exceedingly difficult. So in 2008, conductor Minna Choi founded Magik'Magik Orchestra, a collective with the skills and versatility to back up just about anyone. Now they're the not-so-silent force behind your favorite artists. With an expandable roster, Magik~*Magik has played for an incredible range of musicians, from Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood to wised favorite Zola Jesus (see page 54). They even shared the bill on Death Cab for Cutie's 2012 tour. "They bridge the gap," says Chris Walla, former Death Cab guitarist, "between the sometimes stuffy classical world and the absolutely uneducated artists of the indie rock world." That bridge extends to film too. After Magik~*Magik recorded Nathan Johnson's score for the time-travel flick Looper, the composer called them back for October's sci-fi western Young Ones. "My movies tend to have a nontraditional element," Johnson says, "so Magik~*Magik was perfect." As the group continues to gain collaborators, Choi puts on more hats: arranger, pianist, manager. Next up is songwriting-Magik~*Magik's debut album, which Choi penned, comes out next year. Curtain up.
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