Cellist Paula Sanchez paints delightfully eerie and abstract soundscapes using unique tonalities that she spontaneously creates on the cello, enhanced electronics, and cellophane wrap.
Her solo release, Pressure Sensitive, is a six-part suite of improvised music that, at times, is solid and static, like a sculpture, while at others, it is dynamic and fluid, like a dance.
The first movement begins with an expectant drone, punctuated by the cellophane's cracks and susurrations. As the track progresses, the cello’s mournful lines grow anguished, becoming an otherworldly transmission with a mystical meaning. The ebb and flow of the music from cries to whispers is haunting and dramatic.
Meanwhile, “II” is a crystalline, rising sonic structure that bends and curves like a fantastical tree. The sheet rustles like leaves, and its pops are akin to raindrops. Cello’s bent notes hover over the background din like branches in the wind.
The fourth segment has the most cinematic mood. The cello’s melancholic calls rise into the silent pauses with a primal spirituality. Sanchez wraps her cello with cellophane, and her bow glides over the taut material, stimulating the strings underneath. At times, she uncovers her instrument, and the phrases she plays are melodic fragments influenced by the Western classical tradition. Modulating the tones of her instrument, she creates haunting echoes that further enhance the tune’s ambience.
The final segment “VI” is simultaneously meditative and dynamic. Moving from angular and agile con-arco refrains to restless creaking vamps, Sanchez constructs a darkly shimmering piece. It is stimulating and mesmerizing with a dash of angst to keep it interesting.
Pressure Sensitive is a provocative and moving album that is more than just a musical performance; it is also an immersive experience that rewards open-minded listeners. With it, Sanchez has fused her interdisciplinary interests into a single, one-of-a-kind work that finds harmony in noise and dissonance in melody.
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