P.O.P — Täbriz
The German based project is made up of Berlin based experimental composer and pianist Reinhold Friedl(who is the band leader of German avant/noise chamber orchestra Zeitkratzer), & avant bass-player/composer Hannes Strobl(who has worked with the likes of scanner, Hanno Leichtmann, Toshimaru Nakamura and Stefan Mathieu). And from time to time the pair are joined by saxophonist Hay Chisholm.
The CD album conists of three tracks in all, and theses last between just over the seven & a half minute mark, to just under the nineteen minute mark. The tracks are built around a mixture of: Piano(from in-side & in prepare form) by Friedl. Bass( electric bass guitar & electric upright bass) & electronics by Strobl, with some Alto Sax texturing by Chisholm.
The release opens with the title track, and this is made-up of layers of distant bass bound feed back drones which are layered with scraping, tinkling & forking piano string texturing(these cycle through being near then distant). Later on a repetitive harmonic yet eerier tolling bass tones also appear. All this creates a very taut & unsettling atmosphere.
Track number two is titled “Senneh”, and it starts with a selection of very subdued piano string scrapes, shimmers & picks. By around the two minute mark a wavering/darting harmonic element starts to flit through the track, and this seems to be based on very small sax texturing & just touched piano keys. As the track progresses the following elements shift in the very thin & stripped back sonic stew of the track: panned back just-touching-the-bass guitar notes, all manner of reduced piano string picks, sudden doomed bass reverberations, and thinned/ ghostly sax trails. This track is a wonderful eerier, and rich with micro tone detail – with the piece nicely building in tension & moodiness as it goes along. You can either drift away within it, or revel at it’s intricate sonic detail.
Lastly we have “Kernan” which opens with a mix of short & taut bass drones, tight paino string darts ‘n’ picks, quick & light paino key darts, and sustain/ compact sax breathing. This track is a bit more taut & nervy, compared with the more brooding yet strung-back feel of the other two tracks.
All told this is a effective collection of three sustain sonic scapes, which can either be seen as mostly dread soaked mood- scapes, or subdued yet detailed tone studies.