Born in 1953 in The Hague, The Netherlands, Luc Houtkamp is a well-established composer and player of alto and tenor saxophones plus clarinet, computers and electronics. His playing has a background in jazz and improv; his main interest in his pieces is the way musicians play together and how this can be directed by compositions and the use of computers.
In 2014 Houtkamp moved from The Netherlands to the Mediterranean island of Malta where he became integrated in the local new music scene. As Houtkamp is now firmly attached to Malta, it is no surprise that this album was recorded at Khoen's Place Senglea, Malta, on September 23rd and 24th 2023, having been organised by Khoen Liem. Houtkamp was joined in a duo by British jazz pianist Alex Maguire who was born in London in 1959; Maguire had a varied past, having been a member of the Elton Dean Quartet and Elton Dean's Newsense — before Dean's untimely death in 2006 — as well as the prog rock band Hatfield And The North.
At Khoen's comprises eight tracks ranging in length from 3' 27" to 10' 10", a total of fifty-two minutes. All the pieces are credited jointly to both Houtkamp and Maguire, suggesting that they were jointly improvised in real time rather than pre-composed. This is borne out by the music itself which sounds as if it is being played by a seasoned duo who have been together for years. Whether playing subdued mellow music or more energized upbeat themes, they sound made for one another and on each other's wavelengths. The end result is music which is enthralling from beginning to end and can be listened to and appreciated repeatedly. On this evidence, this duo should play together and record frequently.