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



The Squid's Ear




Heard In

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


  Dominik Dolega 
  Everything Is True
  (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!)) 


  
   review by Jeph Jerman
  2025-02-25
Dominik Dolega: Everything Is True (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Dominik Dolega is a classically trained percussionist from Poland, who offers here a series of short "memories" with a small group of international players utilizing voice, reeds, turntables and guitars. Mostly duets, these pieces are often somber, subdued and contemplative, and very well recorded.

The first piece (they're all titled "Memory"), is slow moving mallet instruments in a careful melody, while the second adds bass clarinet for a very brief dance. "Memory III" is eerie bowed metals and distinctly Frippian guitar backing up a dramatic recitation by two voices, sometimes overlayed. I'm not sure what's being said, but it's very evocative. Later things get complicated a bit, to nice effect, with crackly piano recordings sprinkled around rolling vibraphone (or maybe lithophone?) and whistling, a clash of competing associations which creates a sonic tension as things rub against each other.

"Memory V" feels like a doomed ship, and "Memory VI" brews up clouds of woody harmonics with its overlayed mallet-driven turns. I'm not sure what a bassdesmophone is, but I'm thinking maybe it's making that low end thrumming sound underpinning the alto sax in "Memory VII". Some fairly martial sounding snare rolls and haunting, far away sing-song, complete this one. Elsewhere we're treated to swinging Egyptian or Moroccan sounding drum and string, heavy echoing knock and drone, and a slowly spinning children's song. Bowing and booming with water dripping amid much reverb send us off via a cinematic title sequence.







Comments and Feedback:



More Recent Reviews, Articles, and Interviews @ The Squid's Ear...


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

Squidco


Morton Feldman/
GBSR Duo w/ Taylor MacLennan:
Trios
[6 CD BOX SET]
(Another Timbre)



Angharad Davies/
Burkhard Beins:
Meshes Of The Evening
[VINYL]
(NI-VU-NI-CONNU)



Jessica Williams:
Blue Abstraction:
Prepared Piano Project
1985-1987
[VINYL]
(Pre-Echo Press)



Daniel Levin/
Laurent Estoppey:
Freedom From
The Known
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



Kai Fagaschinski:
Aerodynamics
[VINYL 2 LPs]
(NI-VU-NI-CONNU)



Liz Allbee:
Breath Vessels
[VINYL]
(NI-VU-NI-CONNU)



Kris Davis and
the Lutoslawski Quartet:
Solastalgia Suite
(Pyroclastic Records)



Ernesto Rodrigues/
Guilherme Rodrigues:
Pico
(Creative Sources)



Ernesto Rodrigues/
Ines Ferreira/
Carlos Santos/
Monsieur Trinite:
Cimetiere des Bateaux
(Creative Sources)


Recent Selections @ Squidco:


Steve Lehman Trio +
Mark Turner:
The Music of
Anthony Braxton
(Pi Recordings)



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



Fieldwork (
Iyer/
Lehman/
Sorey):
Thereupon
(Pi Recordings)



Evan Parker/
Andrea Centazzo:
Bullfighting On Ice!
Live In Padova 1977
[VINYL]
(Ictus Remastered Collection)



Alvin Curran/
Andrea Centazzo/
Evan Parker:
Real Time
[VINYL]
(Ictus Remastered Collection)



Alvin Curran/
Andrea Centazzo/
Evan Parker:
Real Time Two
[VINYL]
(Ictus Remastered Collection)



Studer/
Strinning/
Weber:
Cut
(Creative Sources)



Reeder/
Seward/
Weathers:
Two Meditations From The Underground
(Editions Glomar)



Rotor (
Rodrigues/
Torres/
Santos):
Pulses and Paradox
(Creative Sources)



Udo Schindler/
Paul Rogers/
Ardhi Engl:
Ephemeral Essences
Of LowTone Studies (
For Trio)
(Creative Sources)



Eventless Plot:
Unlearning Noise
(Discreet Archive)







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. (12945)