Evis Sammoutis — Atrapós

Evis Sammoutis is a Cypriot American composer who creates dartingly layered, to emotionally taut/ detailed modern classical works. From the always worthy Kairos Music, Atrapós is a CD release bringing together five of his pieces, with a focus largely on string and chamber works.

Sammoutis has been creating work since the early 2000s, with his work being played by many respected Ensembles/players. His work explores the relationship between timbre and harmony, often using unorthodox ways of playing musical instruments to create unusual and highly virtuosic musical landscapes, which gets one's mind whizzing and your pulse racing.

The album opens with 2006’s “Ηχοπραξία – Echopraxi”. This just over seventeen-minute work is for String Sextet. It’s a largely wonderful manic ride of taut plucks and simmering swoons, darting scuttles and rapid neck runs- though later the pace is slowed to more moody-yet-swoops, and jagged plucks.

As we move on, we have 2022’s "In Darkness"- this around seventeen-minute piece is for five voices and bass clarinet. It blends brooding to lightly honking woodwind, with warbling/ sailing/rising male & female voices. The piece creates an effective mix of eerie atmosphere & layered climb ‘n’ dart. 

There’s 2018’s "Secret Garden"- this is for chamber ensemble, and is one of the shorter works here at just under the six-minute mark. It’s a  shifting & busily  cascading work- bringing together swooning ‘n’ searing strings, rapidly darting keys, sliding ‘n’ hissing percussion, piping whistles, and sassy warbles

As a collection, Atrapós present the listener with an invigorating ride into modern classical composition. Yes, it’s often darting/ shifting in structure, but it also maintains both moments of melody and moodiness.