Anqi Liu — Veiled Erosion

Veiled Erosion is the debut album from Anqi Liu- a composer, interdisciplinary/multimedia artist, photographer and filmmaker.  The CD takes in five pieces from the late 2010’s and early 2020s, with each being highly unpredictable- sitting somewhere between the composed and improvised. 

The release appears on the always-worthy Kairos Music, with the CD coming presented in the label's house style, dipak with stuck on glossy inlay booklet packaging. The forty two page book takes in English and German texts, with write-ups about the tracks, notation, and bios.

We move from “How Light Arrives..” this is for sixteen musicians, and comes in at just under the eleven and a half minute mark. The piece is all about circling, yet warbling/wavering instrumental tones- it’s as if the work itself is under the influence of something, as it tries to make its mark. With brass, string, and percussive instruments, plot out their own uneven sonic footpath.

There’s off-key simmer, scarp, hiss, and bay of “Etude For Echos”- the just over eight track is for ensemble, that takes in clarinet/ bass clarinet, trombone, violin, and percussion. The piece seems to be at a constant mid/awkward pace, with one often feeling like the whole thing could just sink away into silence, but it never does, instead it just wonkily ebbs along.

We play out with just shy of eighteen minutes of “Etude For Friends”- this once again is for ensemble. The piece steadily but surely slides its way along, with a blend of taut subtle/ tone oscillating, micro pipes, bitter low-end drones,  and steady-if-awkward swoon.

Veiled Erosion is a decent opening shot from Ms Liu, and if you enjoy unpredictable modern composition, often played by an ensemble, I think you enjoy what is offered here.