Klaus Filip & Leonel Kaplan — Tocando Fondo
The two tracks here a simply titled “I” & “II”- the first track is the longest at just under the twenty seven minute mark, while the second comes in just slightly shorter at just under the twenty three minute mark. Each track is built around a slowly shifting & mostly sustained blends of: compressed trumpet simmers ‘n’ hovers, and slow-mo weaves ‘n’ drones of sinewaves.
The first track opens with a growing & piecing sine wave- this seems slowly snake & sear into ones ears. This opening element soon fades back, and a blend compressed ‘n’ forking trumpet tones, and rising-then-dipping sine waves takes it’s place. As the track moves on from this point both elements seemingly get more searing & agitated, yet the pair still keep skilfully paring back to near silence. At times the Sine waves take on quite a eerier vibe, with the compressed trumpet sears & simmers sounding like amass/amplified yet scattered last breaths/ death rattles. Then at others both elements are most searing ‘n’ caustically snaking in their feel- moving towards almost harsh noise terrority at times. Along the tracks length there is a fair bit of variation & interesting movement/ interplay, yet they stick to similar tonal range & structural set-up, which gives the whole thing a nice continuity.
The second track opens up with a blend of slowly pitch shifting trumpet blows & moodily sustained sine waves. As the track progresses on the trumpet moves between amplified breathings, scrapings, dragging, latter on more semi-rhythmic fumbles, and back to more sustain formal note holds. Behind this the siren waves take-on an almost simmering church organ like feel, and these nicely hover & burn into your listening sensors like a hot knife into butter. This track I guess is a little more tight & full in its sound field- as there are fewer dips back in silence here, with the pair nicely creating this sour, unsettling, and slowly pitch shifting sound-world.
So if you enjoy taut, airless, vice-like-tense and oppressive improv then Tocando Fondo is certainly worthy of your time. All told another worthy release from the Another Timbre label.