The Spire, St Mark's chapel, is an artist-led creation space in Brighton. Normally it's a blank space without heating or equipment but for the night of 10 May it is fantastically dressed up with lights, pictures and a projection saying ‘landmark post-classical recordings’. This is a label showcase for 130701, an offshoot of FatCat Records set up by Dave Howell in 2001. Hauschka, one of the label's longstanding artists who has opened up his imaginative and playful inside-piano playing to commercial audiences, and the label's willingness to support live experimental music are the reasons I'm here.

Dmitry Evgrafov's set begins with several solo piano tracks featuring simple I–IV–V chords, falling 6ths, then a heavily romantic quasi-waltz with double octaves (almost operatic) and some slightly meandering jazz. When his wife, Victoria Bogorodskaya, joins Dmitry on stage, there's an immediate added richness, blurring, distorting, delaying the sound: the predictability remains, but is now seen through the prism of something much lovelier, more fragmented, aged somehow. Despite the authenticity of expression, though, I find Dmitry's pianism somewhat limited and the array of musical styles strange and structurally confusing.

Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch performed her piano-led set with the Delphi string quartet, adeptly using the quartet to colour the simple pieces. As a composer for ensemble, Emilie finds beautiful textures and connections, and the intricacy and intimacy in her tracks pull the audience in. Again, though, I found the piano playing lacked variety, as it was generally limited to the middle of the keyboard, often with moto perpetuo, minimalist textures; and at times I felt her compositional ambition went beyond her performance abilities (though nerves also played their part – the ‘New Blood’ here constituted less experienced performers). The Delphi Quartet was great: their contribution was rich, lush, not overplayed but very expressive with a beautiful sound.

The third performer, Resina (the alias of Polish cellist Karolina Rec), is in a different category. An accomplished performer, she explored her instrument fluently and experimentally. Her opening track used short glissandi to construct a layered texture using a loop pedal to add several versions and then something contrasting. Each subsequent track went on to explore a different technique (e.g. spiccato, col legno) in the same way, yet always found what each piece needed to feel complete. There is genuine flexibility, as she responds to and plays with balance and sound, each note articulating its own space. There is a delicious simplicity of intent married to a richness of result: it is a fulfilling set, varied but coherent, all matched to a minimal but effective film. Resina is a highly focused artist who lets us delight in the cello as a sound source.

So, it is a mixed evening. Dave Howell explained to me that 130701 was ‘set up in 2001 with the notion of pushing a music rooted in classical instrumentation (piano, strings, brass, etc.) yet exploring territory outside of the academic context – engaging with electronic and digital technologies; meshing with non-classical instrumentation, sounds and approaches’. I think this was a timely vision that foresaw much of what is now happening in the contemporary classical scene, and I'm sure that the big hitters of the 130701 label (such as Max Richter and Hauschka) have helped this trend feel possible.

As a by-product, this strand of music might also help prolong and encourage the playing of traditional, acoustic musical instruments. If instruments are placed centrally to the music-making, however, I would prefer them to be played really proficiently. In an interview,Footnote ¹ Howell explains that the desire was to promote ‘classical instrumentation being used in expansive, adventurous, non-traditional ways’, and I suppose this is another reason I feel a little disappointed by the first two performers tonight (though I understand that performing studio music live is a particular challenge, and that some musicians are composer-pianists rather than dedicated piano players). I might also be constrained by expecting ‘post-classical piano-playing’: well controlled and developed, if not subversive.

Throughout the evening, I find myself wrestling with the term ‘post-classical’. Maybe it is always difficult to label music, and maybe it doesn't really matter (‘contemporary classical’ has always felt limited), but ‘post-classical’ led me to hope for something informed by and developed ‘after’ classical music. For me, the difference between classical and pop is most often in compositional deliberation; I would say the music I heard this evening errs towards simplicity, builds on minimalism, and uses live instruments, but doesn't travel far enough to be called ‘post-classical’. However, putting terminology aside, I hope broadly that the cross-fertilisation in this area continues. I certainly value artists who thoughtfully span artistic niche and commercial audiences: in the eco-system of classical music we badly need innovators, ‘new blood’, and, as importantly, new or rejuvenating audiences.