The Squid's Ear
Writing about unusual and experimental music,
following the activities of Squidco...
  •  •  •     Join Our Mailing List!



The Squid's Ear
Facebook: Squidco Sales

Heard In

Reviews of artist releases:
cd's, books, magazines, &c.


  Adrian Democ / Apartment House 
  Ziadba
  (Another Timbre) 


  
   review by John Eyles
  2020-07-17
Adrian Democ / Apartment House: Ziadba (Another Timbre)

Heard blindfold in one of those listening tests beloved of some publications, the music on Žiadba has the potential to leave some hapless victim with egg on their face. Firstly, there is the fact that the Slovakia-born composer Adrián Demoč is relatively unknown, with his only recordings prior to this album comprising two pieces totalling under seventeen minutes, issued as digital files by either/OAR in 2010. Given that, it is commendable that Another Timbre chose to release Demoč's compositions in the wake of the label's blockbusting Feldman box set. Furthermore, six of this album's seven tracks were performed by esteemed members of Apartment House, recorded in June 2019 at St. Paul's Hall, University of Huddersfield, and at Dethick Church, Derbyshire; the seventh was recorded live in August 2015 at Ostrava Conservatory, Czech Republic, during the Ostrava Days festival, performed by Ostravská Banda/fama Q. Throughout, the sound quality is first rate, showcasing the music perfectly.

Another factor which might stump a blindfold test victim is that some of Demoč's compositions do not immediately sound like twenty-first-century pieces, although he has been composing since 2002. Throughout, conventional acoustic instruments are used, with no hint of electronics, amplification or treatments. And there are no extended periods of silence or extremely quiet sound. The album begins well with quartet — violin, cello, clarinet and piano — renditions of "Kvarteto 1" and "Kvarteto 2", composed in 2015-17; the first is a briskly-paced, melodic piece, the complexities of which put Mira Benjamin, Anton Lukoszevieze, Heather Roche and Philip Thomas through their paces for its five minutes; the second is slightly longer, maybe because it is taken at a more stately pace, but just as pleasingly melodic. Just as stately is the fourteen-and-a-half-minute trio "A Luca Marenzio", from 2018, in which cello and piano are joined by Chloë Abbott's trumpet; in contrast to the opening pair, it has a repetitive structure which is simply mesmeric.

The only non-Apartment House track, "Septett" (2011/15) lives up to its title by featuring two violins, two violas, two cellos and a double bass; far less structured than the preceding tracks, it is short on melody but strong on atmosphere and texture, as string sounds wax and wane, ebb and flow to create a highly listenable soundscape in which it is nigh on impossible to pin down who does what. Based on the sounds, it would be no surprise to discover that extensive improvisation was involved, but that does seem unlikely in the context of the album. As a track, it is noticeably different to those discussed above. Oddly, given that they were composed years apart, much the same can be said of the album's longest (fifteen-and-a-half-minutes) piece, "Modré Kvety" (2018), performed by an Apartment House trio of cello, clarinet and piano. Specifically, it is strong on atmosphere, very mellow and listenable.

The album closes with "Žiadba 1" and "Žiadba 2" played solo by violinist Benjamin; the first, and shorter of the two, re-establishes the chamber atmosphere of the opening track, before its eleven-minute companion does a U-turn and deftly shifts the landscape nearer to those of "Septett" and "Modré Kvety". Taken as a whole, this album is an excellent advertisement for the rich variety of Demoč's compositions and suggests he has many fruitful and fascinating years ahead of him. Recommended.



Adrian Democ / Apartment House: Ziadba
Is Sold at Squidco!
Squidco




Comments and Feedback:



The Squid's Ear presents
reviews about releases
sold at Squidco.com
written by
independent writers.

Squidco

Recent Selections @ Squidco:


Berlin Art Quartet (
Schubert /
Bauer /
Muller /
Bruggemann):
Live At MIM
(Unisono Records)



Jimmy Lyons:
Rivbea Live! Series,
Volume 3
(NoBusiness)



Erik Klinga:
Elusive Shimmer
(thanatosis produktion)



Das B (
Mazen Kerbaj /
Mike Majkowski /
Magda Mayas /
Tony Buck):
Love
(thanatosis produktion /
Corbett Vs Dempsey)



Brass Clouds:
Escape Vessels
(Bathysphere Records)



Fire! Orchestra:
Echoes
[2 CDs]
(Rune Grammofon)



Sophie Agnel /
John Edwards /
Steve Noble:
Three On A Match
(Otoroku)



Satoko Fujii
This is It! (
w/
Natsuki Tamura /
Takashi Itani):
Message
(Libra)



Sorry For Laughing (
G. Whitlow /
M. Bates /
Dave-Id /
E. Ka-Spel):
Rain Flowers
[2 CDS]
(Klanggalerie)



New Origin (
feat. Christoph Rocher /
Joe Fonda /
Harvey Sorge):
The Poet Walks
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Simon Nabatov:
Agree to Disagree
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Von Schlippenbach, Alexander /
Barry Altschul Quartet w/
Joe Fonda &
Rudi Mahal:
Free Flow
[2 CDs]
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Thelonious Monk with
Sonny Rollins:
1953 To 1957
Revisited
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



Daniel Carter /
Ayumi Ishito /
George Draguns /
Ed Wilcox:
Makeshift Spirituals
(577 Records)



Kory Reeder:
Homestead
(Another Timbre)



John Cage:
Chamber Works 1943-1951
(Another Timbre)



Josh Sinton:
Couloir &
Book Of Practitioners
Vol. 2
Book "W"
[2 CDs]
(FiP recordings)



Elliott Sharp /
Scott Fields:
Reimsi Geara
(Relative Pitch)



KnCurrent (
Brennan /
Cooper-Moore /
Davis /
Hwang):
KnCurrent
(Deep Dish)



Biota:
Measured Not Found
(Recommended Records)







Squidco
Click here to
advertise with
The Squid's Ear






The Squid's Ear pays its writers.
Interested in becoming a reviewer?




The Squid's Ear is the companion magazine to the online music shop Squidco !


  Copyright © Squidco. All rights reserved. Trademarks. (31408)