When the two worlds of pianists Tania Giannouli from Greece and Nik Bärtsch from Switzerland meet, musical fireworks can be expected. Giannouli has been praised before on this blog, and more specifically for her recent collaboration with the Amir ElSaffar's New Quartet. Her musical style is very lyrical, meditative and gentle, and the quote “This music invites the listener to dream of eternity" captures her music's essence well. Bärtsch has a totally different approach, very percussive, repetitive, reductionist, and the quote "Ecstasy through asceticism" suits his style well.
The collision of these two approaches leads to something phenomenal on this album: deeply eclectic, working with musical legacy of classical, folk music and jazz, their minimal approach, their technical skills on their instruments create a kind of musical universe of rhythmic lyricism in which both musicians feel fully at ease, despite the incredible complexities of the pieces they play.
Bärtsch likes to describe his compositions as a musical space, with clearly defined boundaries yet in which the improvisor can move freely: "The music shows a close affinity to architecturally organized space and is governed by the principles of repetition and reduction as well as by interlocking rhythms. A piece of music can be entered, inhabited like a room. It moves forward and transforms through obsessive circular movements, superimposition of different meters and micro-interplay. The listeners attention is directed toward minimal variations and phrasing".
The result is intoxicating—not only because each of the eight tracks possesses such a distinct character, but also because of the seamless way their voices blend together. The music moves from the meditative Willow Wind to the playful Intonal, from the sensitivity of Electric Sea to the drama of Then When, and from the hypnotic repetitions of Glass Labyrinth to the sheer intensity of Door 13/Pink Athens. Yet despite this remarkable stylistic range, the album remains strikingly cohesive, with a sound entirely its own that captivates from beginning to end.
This music is special. It is not jazz or free improvisation, but it requires the right ears to fully appreciate, and those ears are found on this blog.
Enjoy!
Listen and download from Bandcamp.
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