While the string trio may not be as frequently seen in programming as quartets, it is still a common element of classical chamber repertoire. Violin, viola, and cello. Two violins and viola. Two violins and cello. There are standard formations, as there also are in jazz with its firmly established trios, quartets, or quintets, but in this "Strings Entanglement," nothing is standard, classical, or common. It defies all categorization.
We are, in any case, facing a string trio: Amidea Clotet on electric guitar, Rafal Mazur on bass guitar, and Agustí Fernández on piano. It is a piano, but in this case, the keyboard is utilized as an accessory tool - a string percussion instrument that is manipulated by the pianist to create more than just vibrations and simple resonance. By doing so, the piano claims its own autonomy and is open to a variety of functions and infinite timbres. In Agustí's hands, the piano harp can become a thousand different possibilities.
This encounter of three generations of improvisers in the studio is about exploring what is possible, but still remains to be discovered. At times defined, at times confused, these three personalities are tangled in a web of strings, rubbed and pushed to the limits of their resistance. From this encounter, a new sound emerges, raw and electric, evocative of arid yet fertile landscapes. Fertilizer for future plantings.
Three voices that converge from their discursive independence, weaving a sonic web that at times creaks like the wood of a dock against which waves of an incisive, piercing, and sharp sound collide. The music flows underground, stimulating activity on the surface and emanating electric radiations that occasionally cause short circuits. Ferran Conangla's ear captures their sparks with extraordinary and admirable precision.
Carlos Pérez Cruz
credits
released May 11, 2023
Agustí Fernández, expanded piano
Amidea Clotet, electric guitar
Rafal Mazur, acoustic bass guitar
All music by Agustí Fernández, Amidea Clotet & Rafal Mazur
Recorded on May 28th, 2022 at Estudi Rosazul, Barcelona, Spain
Mixed on April 11th, 2023 at Estudis Tasso, Barcelona, Spain
Recording and mixing engineer: Ferran Conangla
Liner notes: Carlos Pérez Cruz
English version: Sarah Claman
Photo: Ferran Conangla
Cover Art: Enric Jardí
Produced by Sirulita Records
supported by 11 fans who also own “Strings Entanglement”
A complete and satisfying musical experience which, though very accessible will take an age to sink in..It's one of those pieces you can get lost in and keep coming back for more.
Recorded in Huddersfield, a mill town I lived in back in the 60's.The days of the legend Frank Worthington,the high rise of the Lonsbrough and Ibbotson flats,Harold Wilson! Yet so much more to the place than that as this terrific album gives testimony to.There will always be something fresh in the air of that valley ! MIKE ANDERSON
supported by 10 fans who also own “Strings Entanglement”
A studio recording, where you can listen to all the little details happening between the two musicians. Paul Lytton does not play the standard drm kit here Ulrich Jonas