In the fragile lightness of the air, sounds drift into one another. They hesitate and whisper, moving in the same direction without weight or intention, slowly discovering each other, slowly intensifying. Like falling snow, they are visible yet fleeting against the vastness of the sky—until the wind stirs and their presence thickens into a storm: harsh, brutal, a relentless howl that takes command, a kind of dark reflection of the intimacy that preceded it. A vortex of sound sweeps everything along, only to unravel again into countless minute, delicate, and hushed tones.
Or perhaps they are small creatures, curling into one another, releasing tiny calls of recognition and belonging, until friction ignites and they turn on each other in anger—only to find, somewhere down the line, peace and understanding once more, and with it a deep and lasting friendship.
It is difficult to say. Perhaps these fragile, compelling sounds are not meant to evoke such spontaneous images of nature at all. Yet the name phyla itself comes from biology, where it denotes a broad category—bringing together animals of different species (as the tiger and the snail on the cover, possibly related to the story with the same name). In this context, it may suggest that the three musicians acknowledge the artists who shaped them, and draw sounds together from multiple angles and perspectives.
The trio consists of Christoph Erb on tenor and soprano saxophones, Magda Mayas on clavinet, and Gerry Hemingway on drums, voice, and controlled feedback.
The result is impressive. And fascinating. They present two pieces: the first an extended work lasting forty-six minutes, followed by a brief two-minute piece. Unsurprisingly, the longer piece proves more engaging. As on several previous recordings, Mayas has set aside the piano in favour of the clavinet—an instrument whose raw, metallic timbre, not unlike that of an electric guitar, strongly shapes the overall sound of the music. Erb and Hemingway too are in excellent form, the experts of timbral explorations and inventive sonic creativity. The end result is as surprising as is astonishing and captivating.
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