Chris Abrahams & Anthony Patera - Music In Eight Octaves [Immediata - 2017]Music In Eight Octaves is a dizzying, disorientating, yet often captivating journey into piano composition. The fifty-minute piece on offer here finds this pair multi tracking four takes in each octave of the piano, to creating a rapidly spiraling, kaleidoscopic, and exhilarating rush of pure piano. The release either comes in a CD, form, featuring citrine recycled cardboard packing, with black hot stamped text on front & a 24-page booklet. Or a digital download- I’m reviewing the digital version of the release.
Both Chris Abrahams and Anthony Patera should need little introduction to those familiarly with Australian experimental music & modern composition - Chris Abrahams is most known for his work with highly respected experimental/ Minimalist Jazz Duo The Necks. And Anthony Pateras is composer and pianist- whose worked with piano, prepared piano, and synthesizers- releasing albums on labels such as Editions Mego, Tzadik, Ipecac and Immediata.
This work was recorded back in 2005 by the pair- and is really best described an unstoppable flowing & spiraling sonic weave of pure piano. The rapidly flowing & constantly flurry notation rushes towards you in such a manic-yet-appealing manner, and you literally feel like you are been completely drowning in the rush of sound. At times one layer slightly shifts in its pattern/ flow, and this nicely creates a wonderfully kaleidoscopic sensation- as the rushing keys spiral & undulating in a most pleasing manner.
This release, of course, will appeal to fans of minimalist ‘n’ manic modern composition/ jazz- but I can also see it appealing to more adventurous walled noise/ repetitive & uninformed noise fans too. As the pianos here really do become an impenetrable mass of sound that nicely engulfs you completely & utterly for it's fifty-two minute run time. Roger Batty
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