Record Reviews
1 Review Found. Use search to find more reviews or follow the links in the review text.
  | QUARTET AJATON ~ EARLY MUSIC IN THE LATEST WAY
ALBA 458 (Barcode: 6417513104585) ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion
Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020
This is the second album by the Finnish Quartet AjatonFind albums by this artist, which consists of vocalist Mia SimanainenFind albums by this artist, bandoneon player Henrik SandasFind albums by this artist, Moog synthesizer player Kari IkonenFind albums by this artist and viola da gamba (a.k.a. viol) player Mikko PerkolaFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, most of which are interpretations of Early Music from the 16th and 17th Century, four by the English Renaissance composer / singer John DowlandFind albums by this artist, one by Henry PurcellFind albums by this artist, three by various composers of the period and finally one is a Finnish traditional melody.
The music offers a very original sound, which mixes early instruments, the Moog synthesizer and vocals in a most surprising manner, which immediately rises the listener’s eyebrows. There is a delicate balance between the original music and the improvised parts. Each of the three instruments and the vocals switch between the original melody lines and improvisations, often within the same tracks, creating a natural flow, which in fact is hardly natural at all, weaving a sophisticated tapestry of “illusion”, which tries to transform the music several Centuries ahead of its time.
The vocalist and the instrumentalists do a stunning job from start to finish, playing with highly aesthetic imagination, obvious skill and reserve, carefully avoiding the possibility to upset the delicate balance that this music is based upon. One has truly to admire the audacity involved in taking such radical approach to the original music, and yet manage to arrive victorious at the end, preserving the soul of the music and at the same time deconstruct it into contemporary environment.
This album is certainly one of the most interesting attempts to deal with Early Music in an innovative and highly creative way, which to me proves again the incredible richness of the Finnish music scene, which sadly often remains undiscovered. It might take a while to get into by less experienced music explorers, but it is definitely worth the effort and certainly deserves to be discovered!
Beautifully done Lady and Gentlemen! Respect…
| | Updated: 24/04/2021Posted: 24/04/2021 | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
|
