30 May

Minua – Still Light (released on 2nd of February 2019) Label: Traumton, IndigoCD 165772, Jazz

By grzech In Music Reviews / No Comments

When you are coming across a band which contains two guitarists and the bass clarinet player then you already know that something unusual is happening there. How many times did you find one like that? My answer would be: none. It takes some unusual blend of personalities to happen and this is exactly what we are finding here.

Music which they are presenting is very intimate and immersive. It is not an easy one too and very multi-layered. Listening to this one might think it might be half sketched, half improvised too, as I cannot imagine myself it to be fully scored and always played in exactly the same order. The reason I am saying that is because it is too imaginative, too inviting to enforce some invention. I was listening to it for long before I started to write about it and I remember how it grew on me, how it changed my perception, the more I became familiar with the tunes.

Sonic wise there is a lot of history of the music those youngsters had grown on: From Contemporary classics of the 20^th century like Reich, Parch, Bryars through Psychedelic Rock Avantgarde, ala King Crimson or Sigur Ros, to Skúli Sverrisson , Nils Petter Molvær, Christian Fennesz or Arve Henriksen. An impressive list of the unique artistic personalities from the past and present.

It starts with a very melancholic tune And After…, with chord progression bringing Sting to my mind, but it is just a loose thought. It doesn’t reassemble anything in particular and the function of the instruments is so different too. When both guitarists are creating sort of tapestry, the clarinet walks on that gently, with a rich woody tone and sophisticated articulation.

Going to Waterlines, we are crossing the doors like Taxidomoon, for example. Fabian Willmann clarinet there reminds me of Steven Browns world, with its philosophical and theatrical to some degree phrases. Additionally, the soundstage coming from mutual effort of both looped guitars is gothic and dark, but at the same time tender and holding the feeling of the veiled lyricism.

The deeper into the forest the better. It would make no sense to go through the titles here unless someone is expecting me to analyse the arrangements. This is music which breaths, and it gets to you by the mood it holds. Splitting it apart makes no sense to me as my instincts keep telling me that this is not the way it had been composed,

It is all about the intimate communication here. I can’t not see the concept of order it had been recorded with. When I was listening to the tracks in random order, something I often do is verify if the tension is real or if it’s just me. Here it does not matter to me. What happens, is getting into the trance. Once you are there your imagination follows neither the electronic guitars landscape or the clarinettist’s lines. Those sometime are purely descriptive, like a renaissance motif repeated in choral, jumpy intervals, with irregular pace, hence the Jump makes a good title.

Other times, like in Marmuration, the cold brushes of the reed or strings keep flattering your mind stone cold. The way the tension is build and momentum kept, shows the maturity of the band members, which is deeply surprising, given their young age, and related to that – shortage of the life experience, particularly creative suffering which is always vastly responsible for emotional abilities. Nether the less without trying to find a depth of expression there is still a lot to enjoy on the surface and according to my own freshly gained experience that is a good start. Now in phase two, I am starting to submerge and the feeling of wetness on my skin and air travelling up on my face is both, calming and healing.

Love that record, hungry to hear a debut one before and awaiting future ones to come.

29 Apr

Veronika Harcsa & Bálint Gyémánt – Shapeshifter (released on 2nd of February 2019), Label: Traumton, IndigoCD 165762

By grzech In Music Reviews / No Comments

Hungarian Duo remains on my Hot List since they signed to Traumton and the first time I’ve got in touch with their music. Those who follow do know that two previous recordings had been also reviewed here. This one is different however, as they now expanded to the regular Quartet. Newcomers are bassist Nicolas Thys and drummer Antoine Pierre. Saying that it was just about time as like I said before, as a duet they reached the threshold and I could not see them going any further. Adding a rhythm section made an extra space and enriched the arrangements, giving in the same time a different context for Veronica, which She made a good use of immediately. Paradoxically I am finding this new expanded squad sounding much more intimate to me. The reason for it is that She has got much more headroom for her vocal.

Therefore, this recording is showing her vocalise in completely new perspective. Straight from an opening Listen to Me Now, you can tell that it all gained a different pace. She might now articulate the lyrics with longer decays, that alone makes a difference to the surrounding silence. As the rhythm is looked after, Bálint as well can focus even closer on accompanying her and his playing became more modal, when previously it was faster, more percussive and drive – giving. This makes her sing almost like an operatic Diva, when she can finally unveil the charm of the long lasting high notes and focus on finishing them in the silky fading way.

Another ballad San Francisco, brings again a lot of beautiful thrills, this is probably most reminding the previous recording one, as her connection with guitarist remains very close and she uses loops with her own vocals as well, when section makes it only to the little breaks.

First Night is something which introduces a new aesthetic into Veronicas expression artillery. It is very cold and Nordic song, in fact is even articulated in the way which reminds me what Sidsel Endresen used to do with Bugge Wesseltoft. Or territories occupied by Lena Willemark alike. Double bass solo making an outro from that nocturnal space is beautifully fingered, woody and full of melody.

Second Night in comparison is like getting back to bed with the girl you already know very well. This is Veronica at her best. Shaping phrase with a great attention. Jazzy guitar aliquoted passages enriched with a gently brushed Toms, brings a similar mood as Pat Matheny and Paul Wertico used to create.

But then the Last Night is coming and it all breaks and turns upside down. Veronica’s recitative – descriptive voice takes a lead and builds a drama. She does a phenomenal input here, especially the part sung over the rolling rhythm. Her different lines looped into a single tissue creates something which might be best described as a tribal ritual with the emotional intensity it builds. This cannonade finds the way out in the psychedelic gallop, like from the best Gong days.

This three nights makes me emotionally fulfilled and I could marry the girl blindfolded, but would you believe me if I tell you that there is still lot left to explore. There is , as we are just in the middle. Isn’t life beautiful.

11 Apr

Tamara Lukasheve Quartet – Homebridge (released on 25th of January 2019) Label: Traumton, IndigoCD 165782

By grzech In Music Reviews / No Comments

Ukrainian Singer, and now also long time German resident, Tamara Lukasheva is the most striking new discovery and an incredible talent I recently came across and given her quality it might easily stay like that the whole year long. First, her vocal skills are phenomenal, then add to that the Voice, which is capable to surprise you anytime she would feel like taking a little part improvised. And, if it wasn’t yet enough for a single artist, on top of that you are getting a sensitivity which crosses between the usual heritage and cultural background. That last point is possibly most responsible for the freshness of that recording to the greatest degree.

From an opening Night and the Moon, sung half in Russian half in English, she sets an incredible romanticism over the entire piece. Music alone, but also her lyrics which had been balancing between an oriental ballad and melancholic Dumka, trying to describe the sense of loneliness.

Then comes tittle song, the Homebridge, lovely romantic ballade with fantastic piano accompaniment by Sebastian Scobel. Very touchy composition of her own, showing an incredible versatility.

But nothing would prepare you to what comes after with a song called Alte Hauser, which a nothing but sensational tour deforce balancing between folk spirit of the village song and TNT loaded Boss nova, with counter points that someone would suspect Laureen Newton about singing it. Clarity of her voice and theatrically – architectural structure is absolutely innovative and mesmerising with its thin balance between incredible infantilism and fully mature psycho – drama. This song is one of 3 on that recording which are refering to the poetry of prematurely died, autistic poet Asja Klimanova, Lukasheva’s friend to whose memory this recording is dedicated. Let’s focus on them for a while then as they are sort of sub-chapter for what is happening here in general.

Where are you going Yanichku is another one, with brings that feeling of naivety and the way she sings those word s to challenge our sensitivity and ability to understand something what clearly stays alive in her memory but reminds sacred for the listener to whom only artistic Tamara’s translation is available.

Last one, called I will stop disappearing, comes after her own titled Awake, which creates wonderful emotional platform between her own expression and the magic hidden in the little poet’s thoughts. It is sad and more epitaph than the others, with both lyrics and the nocturnal piano and double bass inclusion framing it. It is sung, as others in original, but transcriptions are available for listener to unknowledge the meaning of the words. That is just the right choice as the natural melody of the Russian language is inseparably integrated with the whole tissue.

Another person mentioned in dedication is Lukasheva’s great master and friend, Yuriy Kuznetcow, the great worldwide recognised Avantgarde pianist, Band leader and animator of contemporary music movement in his and her native Odessa. His composition, The Moon is Clean is very nostalgic and healing and the accompanying lyrics are bringing the same feeling of Russian nostalgia, so well understood and executed here.

The most vigorous pieces are two interpretations of the traditional songs. First, titled In As moll, is probably the most technically difficult song here and I do see very few vocalists who would have tried to do so. She puts all she’s got into it with the range going way above 3 octaves and high notes sung long lasting and kept perfectly clear. This is enough to fine line top class singer and she is already there on the beginning of her carrier, which I am going to watch carefully.

Closing Marisija is more conventional alike composition for piano Trio arranged with space given to the singer, but her, here keeps mixing scat with the same propulsive, shortly accented way of singing she introduced earlier in a mentioned Triptych opening additionally enriched with syllable-tonal patterns playing with the rhythmic frame of the composition.

It is congenial and breath taking, what more can I say.

27 Mar

RaaDie – Vast Potential (released on 25th of January 2019) Label: Traumton, IndigoCD 165792

By grzech In Music Reviews / No Comments

I am not following the music of Austrian Trumpeter Lorenz Raab too close, but I had the pleasure of seeing him twice on stage. Once with his Blue Trio and another time with the xyBand which also contained his duo partner and E-zitherist and famous looper, Christof Dienz. Those two are familiar with each other for a long time. I like Raabs warm tone and melancholic approach as well as his experiments with electronics which I consider to be very tasty, purist and always well balanced and done with purpose without over doing things.

Dienz is another story but his creativity and synchronicity with Raab are obvious hence why we got this recording here, which is the best confirmation of what I say above as it brings all

Those strengths which always had been a common denominator in their mutual co-operation. Both of them are Romanticists, who like to float in the space without making music too thick. There is a lot of air in their play and it always was, whatever separate or together.

Six out of nine compositions came from Christof. Those which wrote Lorenz are much easier to recognise to me as they had this foggy picturesque like way of sketching landscapes with his brass, which is always present in his projects. Here the view is clear, and melody leads the listener through the piece. Zitherist approach is more medieval, aliquots alike – philosophically. More accompanying musically. But Dienz’s inclusion brings a lot of an empiric sense of hollowness if you know what I am trying to express?

His own music takes deeper into the experimentation, as it is him who creates the landscape, hence Lorenz has no other choice than to follow, the bit like with dancing, where a couple contributes but one clearly leads when another follows. Let’s take the Underwaterfish as an example, brilliant title if you think about and absurd sense of it. The abyss created by rhythmic, looped patterns are closely filled with Rabbs long notes into the borders that Dienz created.

Summer in Winter is another great example where paternal presence of the Zither notes are making a framework. Here however choral characters of the patterns are allowing Raab to climb on his notes like an Ivy in any direction he likes. That loose tempo gives him more opportunity to build up wonderfully dreamy and melodically engaging shiny brassy soundscape.

The most interesting Raab’s composition to me is the one called On the Other Side. It is very Gothic and sounding close to Godard’s Castel del Monte project. It brings wonderful tension into the piece, which consequently builds and finds excellent climax on the end.

From Christof compositions the one titled Hey Lo! is my favourite. It is almost like a rock ballad crafted with his synthed line up of instruments, but it makes the best melting pot for both musicians and allows Raab to show wide range of his trumpet and equal ability to shine in heights as he does in mids.

It is very contemplative and funky recording and more you listen to that the more unusual sounds reach you, showing that it is actually more complex than first impression might tell.

24 Mar

Clara Haberkamp – Neon Hill (released on 2nd of November 2018) Label: Traumton, IndigoCD 168702: Vocal, Jazz

By grzech In Music Reviews / No Comments

Berliner Jazz pianist Clara Haberkamp is known to me from her own Trio recording. I had a pleasure to review her last Orange Blossom CD, some 2 years back and I liked it a lot, it intrigued me enough to go back in time and check her other 3 recordings for other German labels: Laika. Here we have a different approach as pianist, who doesn’t hide the fact she Loves to sing as well, is presenting herself in this solo project as the singer and a song-writer.

Like previously majority of the material is her own, except Alone, with lyrics by Edgar Allan Poe and closing Someone Like You being the music of Vangelis. Let’s start with those two then. First, as might be expected they’re bringing some deep and meaningful words to the surface, very reflective and autumn alike. The musical mood she has wrapped it with is very gentle and suits expressed emotions very well. Vangelis’ ballad is a wet hot pop song covered by many, including Adelle for example to use the freshest memory. Saying that, this was pretty boring obvious and typical Brit-pop style. In comparison Clara’s approach lacking that obscurity and with changing tempos and narrative vocalise, brings a lot of life and freshness to an otherwise well-worn song. With phrasing she reminds me a bit of Peter Cincotti, who also has that crispy heights bringing sort of breezy feeling to the tissue.

Getting to her own material, as it had been already proven before, she is a damn good writer.

She has got that easiness of putting words together in the way than they reach you deep inside of your emotional structure and in the same time she doesn’t overuse the words. Keeps it simple. With a melody which the lyrics brought continues its life in the piano phrase. Such is an opening Lighted Crow.

In others, like for example Wild Rose, the piano introduction sets the pace of the song which simply drifts on that few chords. Again, the simplicity, honest articulation of the lyrics and meaning of the words are making it all happen.

What makes it touchy is the fact that those lyrics are very self-exposing. Not in the way she exhibits herself. Even if she does, it is not what first comes to mind. It is more like telling the stories which are universal truths about all of us. Therefore, it is not difficult to identify yourself with them. As they are touching reflections that are left in all peoples heads.

On the same time all those stories are kind of sounding from the distance and giving you that feeling of being alone with your thoughts which is coming out of that recording once you get used to the lyrics and keep listening to it repetitively. It is especially touching in the piece called Pink Overture, which is probably my favourite on that session. This is a song without words and it really doesn’t need any. The piano invocation gives you that feeling of intimacy which are coming from her lyrics before and after. That music drifts in such a natural way like a heartbeat. And like breathing comes without questioning.

Dare to indulge yourself in this fragile word of feelings, anxieties and reflections and you will be rewarded hundred times.

03 Mar

Geir Sundstol – Brodlos (released on 10th of November 2018); Label: HUBRO, Hubro CD 2603

By grzech In Music Reviews / No Comments

Multi-instrumentalist and guitarist Geir Sundstol, put together quite interesting bunch of musicians to contribute on his latest, 3^rd recording. Music itself is truly interesting as well.

It has a strong cinematic influence and to a guy like myself who grew up on movies like Paris – Texas, Wings of Desire and remains a great fan of music of Nino Rota, Ennio Morricone alike and Ray Cooder or Bill Frisell to get down back to the planet guitar, it brings back a lot of memories.

An opening Snev is a nostalgic theme of incredible fragility. Very narrative and healing with an unavoidable trace of sadness. Coming after Leben, with a slide guitar and harmonica lines is probably the most reminding Spaghetti Western soundtracks, but here it is specially spiced with Nils Petter Molvar’s trumpet lines. Also, timpani drums, musical saw and many other percussive instruments are adding to the flavour a sort of shaky feeling with a trace a suspense. General tissue reminds me what I remember from Bowie’s Low, the middle of its Berlin trilogy.

Saying that it must be said that the saddest music he ever wrote, The Warsaw appears on that mix too as it comes to me as somehow natural consequence, except the fact that here it is mixed up with Coltrane’s Alabama – another very meaning theme originally issued on his album Live at Birdland (1963) to tribute the victims of the KKK Black Church massacre.

Recently I heard Alabama live on stage with Jack De Johnette quartet including Ravi Coltrane and Matthew Garrison, both children of the fathers who took a part of the original session. Looking at the social and political context of the days we are living in makes you think that it is not accidental that this music comes back to the surface just today.

A year before, British drummer Dylan Howe paid his own tribute to Bowie’s music on his Subterraneans album which I also heard on stage and had a pleasure to review after, but that was more conventional jazzy approach. Low grows Big again then and keep inspiring people.

Anyway, to Polish listeners like myself Bowie’s theme had been borrowed from piece called Helokanie, written by folk music and lyrics – performed by The Polish Song and Dance Ensemble “Śląsk” (Silesia) – conducted by Stanisław Hadyna. It is not just an obvious inspiration, but the fact confirmed by David himself in one of his interviews in which he handles the old Pronil record I also own, which he purchased somehow, somewhere, passing by ex-communistic block countries.

As music goes further we are getting more and more sunk into folk and bluesy lines coming out straight of the Delta tradition and then popularised by both mentioned above guitarists, with Blunder being most Paris – Texas soundtrack alike spiritually.

Interesting and chilling music which according to the artist supposed to be sad, but in my feeling, it came together very nostalgic. Maybe this is because Norwegians are so positive that they cannot really be sad in the same way as we are.

Whatever the truth is what matters in the end is that that this is simply wonderful recording embracing the listener with an outstanding charm.

26 Feb

Kaleidoscope String Quartet – Reflections (released on 26th of October 2018) ,Label: TRAUMTON, Indigo 158672

By grzech In Music Reviews / No Comments

This is a second time when I am listening to KSQ music, both recordings had been cut off for Berlin based independent Traumton records label. Bern based Quartet appeared to me as highly virtuoso formation from the very first time and this latest appeal only affirm that conviction. Three years passed since and to be perfectly honest I listened to that music a lot meanwhile, so seeing that new one coming was nothing but the water for my hunger-mill.

Here we have a mix of both: compositions coming from the band members as well as other composer’s literature, for example their compatriot Nik Bartsch, one of another favourite young band-leaders. Or Mathias Ruegg, legendary founder and director of the Vienna Art Orchestra. Let’s start from those then. Modul 17 originally written for Ronin appeared at least few times on their recordings. It is very minimalist piece of music, with repetitive rhythm and very precise timing. Quartet arrangement is very lyrical, and it drags out a lot of melody from the music. Original is more mathematical in its precision. By the harmony built on strings the music gets drive from bowed chords in unison rather than Nik’s piano chops. Music sounds a little like a Different Trains (by S. Reich) performed by Kronos Quartet, to make some valid point of the reference.

Alles Walzer, as it is a case with an orchestral piece sounds much bigger and multi melodic as might be expected. The richness of the original demands from musicians even more creativity and to cover those needs the music is performed not just with the traditional Quartet expression, but also with use of voices merged with the bowed them as well as a lot of percussive effects added to the tissue. But it also draws a lot from a Balkan folk in the same time and those Rubato movements are bringing some nice colourants. The same can be said about quotes from Vivaldi and Menuhin, put into the tune with very specific sense of humour.

Another minimalist piece I enjoyed a lot is a closing Iceland. It tastes like a breeze and the sense of sort of like being hung in a fog is beautifully brushed by the bows. Illustrative nature goes further with the motoric movements between the melody lines acting little bit like choruses in the symphonic piece. In climax violin solo makes fantastic harmony with remaining three voices coming into the culmination with perfectly controlled tension and certain trace of distortion to counterpoint a purity of coming after unison.

But my absolute favourite of that recording is the one called Introspection, from the pen of violinist David Schnee. It is wonderful melody which flies over the accompaniment of the others playing gentle pizzicato in the background to join the conversation later, one by one. The tension and an emotional balance of the tune is insanely beautiful and the merge of freedom with slightly Appalachian, slightly Balkan with the classical chamber music bowing routine and romantic articulation is nothing but hypnotising you. Listening to it is like spinning around in the middle of the meadows and watching the sun through the closed eyelids.

18 Feb

Stark – Linnemann – Pictures at an Exhibition (released on 17th of November 2018) Label: UCM Records,

By grzech In Music Reviews / No Comments

I am having long time affair with Stark – Linnemann Quartet right now and it is a rather very pleasant one. Previously reviewed Chopin Recordings I, II and III were both beautifully re-worked and executed in a equally sophisticated way. The same can be said about, today’s already classic Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B minor, which started Paul’s journey into classical music transcriptions some six years back from where we are now.

I was looking forward to getting my hands on that one badly, not just because I know what the band is capable of, but also due to it is such a well-known and so many times re-worked piece of music, what raises the bar significantly. And, I mean so many did it, from great composers who are Iconic themselves to Pop or Rock Stars. I drop all those stories as well as the original one about The Pictures as it is widely recognised, and if not, it is easy to trace if someone needs to. The snippet of music which came in the middle of the summer only spiced my appetite, so when I finally had heard it I was gobsmacked not only with the music itself and the way it had been made, but also by the fact that I could see that the style they created is now a matured hallmark which I can recognise, What do I mean by that, then ? Just listen.

Let’s start from the most dance of the Pictures, the Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks. Paul previously already was mixing Latin music dances into his classical re- arrangements, so listening to the little Rhumba illustrating this there I was delighted to see the consequence in his work as well consistence in his style. Keeping the right balance between the funky rhythm and an infantilism of the sketched soundscape is the biggest strength there.

Other is Tuileries, second most joyful of the entire suite. Here the theme comes after percussion intro, brought gently by the clarinet again. And not before the bluesy rhythm had been introduced by the double bass. But this is clearly Linnemann’s show off. Here from the silky intro, sounding like sunrays going between the branches to the Brubeck’s Quartet alike sound meets Miles Davis Lift to The Scaffold. All dynamism and emotions of those interactions are sketched by his brushes. Paul introduces the Ball-room theme with his piano like a cruise ship in the turquoise oceanic depths.

Coming after Bydlo, by all the contrast brings immediate image of heavy toil and hard work effort by repetitive piano clusters joined by Iman Spaargaren’s tenor saxophone. Then repeating the lines through the chord progressions, a and wind improvisation bringing the image of disturbance, is nothing but excellence!

Following Goldberg and Schmule, again makes us dance, but to an entirely different melody. What starts like Juan Tizol’s Caravan becomes wonderfully moved by Spaargaren’s clarinet into Hasidic folk tune, driven by the rhythm like from an Ellington-esque Far East Suite. Another little gem blending together decades of Jazz with Orchestral heritage, Indian Raga and Judaic tunes. All again the music which had been originally written to bring a joy to the hearts and move your feet.

The main framework of the Work, its pillars should I say, are obviously the break outs named Promenades, total five out of sixteen orchestral pieces makes it one/third of the music.

Here SLQ doesn’t disappoint either, bringing a wonderful makeover to each of them when in the same time manage to prevent the tension they build in the original score. First oscillates between Ravel’ian piano reverb holding stridden Bolero rhythm and clarinet and drums shifting tempo into the gentle Bossa, Transition never happens and the balance between those two worlds holds the tension.

Second starts in Bill Evans attributing Piano Trio style. Paul’s melancholic and imaginative piano intro turns into the Waltz, which again by differential tension on keys relying on gentle Linnemann’s drumming steps like bare feet on the carpet.

Third is pure Blues, and the rhythmic intervals are just wonderful, section goes on like Mint Hinton and Jeff “Tain” Watts at their best. My heart is just growing like an elephant.

Forth is just a short interlude, lasting hardly 52 seconds, but it is stepping into the dark with heavy, Milonga like, sadness.

When I just guided you through nine images, there is still seven more waiting to be discovered by careful, sensitive listener. I don’t want to spare you of all that pleasure. All of them are real gems worth effort to find them. This is simply an exquisite approach which SLQ completed here and to me this CD is already a classic, right in line with the best Mussorgsky’s interpretations created in the past. Hats off.

10 Feb

Don the Tiger – Matanzas (released on 19th of October 2018), Label: Crammed Discs, cram CD 285

By grzech In Music Reviews / No Comments

Matanzas is a Noir project by. Adrián de Alfonso a.k.a Don The Tiger.It is you today’s journey to the heart of Matanzas, the Cuban town which gave us Arsenio de Rodriques, the father of the modern Rumba. It is also an interesting journey inside of himself. Living today in Berlin the artist doesn’t hide the fact he misses his home city Barcelona, with all the naturalness and life as such as it is going on the streets. He sings about a loneliness and searching, but not finding.

The makeover of those inner concerns is happening through the prism of dances, like Cuban Rumba, Argentinian Tango or Catalan Sardana or Bolero. Half of the contest is instrumental, and half comes with the lyrics. Aesthetics is very 90’s and very Crammed Discs as well with the use of ambient arrangements and synthetized sounds made on ancient MIDIs. It touches many sentimental notes and digs out a lot of memories for the generation like mine which identifies itself with it.

An opening Chants to the Shrinking Aral with lovely Bolero rhythm driving the song and dreamy synth-ed artefacts plan is a sad love song directed to the Love from de pasado, waved with the memories of past and now, half dreamed, half imagined. Half real and half hallucinogenic. In the best tradition of Tuxedomoon. Adrian’s dark and slightly dry voice also reminds me a lot of Blaine L. Reininger’s one, with the thrashing and the way that accents are put into the lyrics.

Twisted on the Sand coming after appears as a instrumental landscape with lot of synthetized tissue in it, but after breaking bass chord teamed up with an ominous rumble slowly changing into Santo Subito recitative. That one has a special meaning to me as it gets back to the days of death of JP the 2^nd, the Polish Pope, who as it turns out today kept hiding Crimes of Paedophilia in a Catholic Church and with context of today’s finding about Vatican’s involvement in money laundry, human trafficking and another criminal activities gains really special meaning, going much further than possibly artist intended.

Instrumental miniature called New Galician Dance, with its retro – sounding chops put into the Sol rhythmic structure can be seen today as a precursor of what became today Reggaeton.

Eyes Dry as Horns, another instrumental piece sounds a bit like twisted Fugue played on Moogs in an acoustic space far different that a usual Cathedral reverb. Disturbed with a mix of distorted electronic sounds it comes out as an interesting suite. Again, very much like Planet Tuxedomoon and Ian Brown’s side trips.

Another “song” which struck me has only few verses and I should rather call it recitative. But with a strange title (Arturo Velez’s 15^th Fever) and an apocalyptic vision of the nature dying on our eyes spelled into few lines it strikes hard, as this is the World we do see today.

So, is that farewell said to the mortal world, through the tears, with some dancing rhythms bringing a memory of the good days, or sentimental journey into the Latin heritage with a grid of salt to counterpoint? I guess each of us have to answer it to himself, and it will all depends on ones very own sensitivity. So far it is the most Modern Dance Macabre I noticed

27 Jan

Fabiana Striffler – Sweet and So Solitary (released on 28th of September 2018), Label: Traumton, IndigoCD 162272

By grzech In Music Reviews / No Comments

“And now Something Completely Different “, as Monty Pythons used to say. I didn’t quote that without reason however. The mix of gags, skills, techniques and endless looking for a way to expand self-expression results it creating recording which challenges the listener by constant shift of gears and moods. First to start with is that Fabiana’s Trio is unusual itself containing a violin, piano and vocalist. Second to occur is that all those musicians do have solid classical conservatory background, but despite that they have a great need to explain their inner/other selves and boundaries of their artistic personalities. The more you listen to that music the more obvious it becomes. The more also you peel out as complexity of the compositions and multiple techniques and expression are attracting the attention first and kind of protecting the core.

Just to give you a clue, an opening Intro is a lovely harmony merging vocalise of Frederike Merz with leader nostalgic bowing. It lasts hardly a minute and leaves you with a hunger for more. Coming after Milky Way is another little jewel, even shorter, played on the prepared strings and made of gentle distortions which all together become a harmony. Takes skill to make it so profound and so grotesque in the same time.

Two next pieces are outstanding show off for Merz’s vocal qualities. First Morning Star, makes a fantastic expression in a Schumann ’esque style with outstanding freshness coming out of perfectly articulated lyrics and synth’ed guitar accompaniment.

Second called Sennergluck, mixes things from all over the world. You can hear Appalachian strings there starting with pizzicato intro making tapestry for a joyful vocalise and flying from folk infantility to seriously elegant string phrasing. With piano counterpoint it almost turns into an elegant dance.

First of the highlights comes however with sung in Spanish Madness of a Full Moon Night, with lyrics adopted from Diego L.Monachelli. Here the romanticism of the trio approached in connection with unexpected twist of the rhythm and the melody lines are making it into a proper Cabinet of Dr.Caligari’s. Merz’s dreamy vocalisation of the poem, sung with a truly operatic extension of the vocal powers and huge range swivels between German expressionism and the straight beauty of a I. Albéniz’s songs.

Another comes with Eigensinning, the piece ecstatically spreading between the sound of the modern string quartet and Ibero-influenced flamenco rhythms with gypsy libertinism mixed with a Balkan vitality. Singing here m, again is again a proper tour de force and it becomes obvious that Fabiana wrote these pieces with Merz’s voice in mind. The same applies to The Spaceship Over Nusa Penida, the minimalistic piece with a spirit of Terry Riley flying over the notes and bravado conversations between the violin and vocce, flying from scat to onomatopoeic drama ala Lauren Newton.

But the coolest momentum comes when the recording reaches its climax with the title Sweet and So Solitary. This Noir song with theatrical Voice Theatre accompanied by decadent piano and some seriously disturbing fiddling moves from the Blues to the Rumba, with the ecstatic momentum touching the Circus of Madness and the Freedom of God’s Creation