Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

John Tilbury / Keith Rowe / Kjell Bjørge - Sissel [SOFA Music - 2018]

Sissel is a fragile, sparse, often forlorn- yet at times haunting slice of improv- bringing together the talents of English pianist John Tilbury, respected British improviser Keith Rowe, and live video artists Kjell Bjørgeengen. The release comes in the form  of a CD/ or vinyl release on the Norwegian based SOFA Music label, who of late have released a few interesting titles with-in the improv/ modern composition bracket.

The work takes its title from the first name of Bjørgeengen wife, who sadly passed away in 2016- so this both adds to the feeling of forlornness & loneliness that pervades the track. The work is presented here as a single forty eight minute track- and this moves from one fragile sound structure to the next- which is either marked out by Tilbury’s felt & at times harmonic piano, or by Rowe’s extremely subdued noise making/ improv texturing.

Having personally lost a few family members over the last few years, I feel the work really highlights that feeling of both numbness & fleeting memories/ moments with loved ones, which one experiences after a passing. The whole thing is so loose, fragile, and sparse- as Rowe playing moves eerier drags &  crinkles, onto more brooding scapes & creaks, through to moments of almost rhythmic movement. Over this, we get the sparse & often broken-up canvas of Tilbury’s piano playing- and this moves from haunting patter-nation, onto more pronounced melodic cluster or notes, through to discordant darts.

Sissel is a work that requires both time, effort & patience to unlock it’s fragile & felt wonder- it’s music you need to settle back into and slow down with. It’s a pity that there are not the video elements from Bjørgeengen present on the disc, as you do feel like you missing out on part of the work's impact- but never the less this is a highly skillful work of pared-back, but eventful improv

Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

Roger Batty
Latest Reviews

John Tilbury / Keith Rowe / Kjell...
Sissel is a fragile, sparse, often forlorn- yet at times haunting slice of improv- bringing together the talents of English pianist John Tilbury, respec...
110725   Alternative TV - Direct Actio...
110725   Theme - Meditations on Space,...
110725   Pitchshifter - Peel Sessions...
100725   John Scott - Symptoms OST
100725   Torsofuck - Feasting On Carve...
100725   Dachra - Dachra(VOD)
100725   Transmission - Transmission( ...
100725   Up! - Up!( Blu Ray)
100725   Jack The Ripper - Jack The Ri...
090725   A Day At The Beach - A Day A...
Latest Articles

Matthew Holmes - Of razor-sharp t...
It’s fair to say the Sharksploitation genre is often tried, tested, and to be honest, tired. Fear Below is a 2025 Australian film that tries to do some...
180625   Matthew Holmes - Of razor-sha...
280525   The Residents - Visits From T...
090525   Ennaytch - Of walls, abused ...
150425   Dead, Dead Swans interview - ...
110325   Sebastian Tomb - Walls of unb...
040225   Alien Sex Fiend - Possessed B...
231224   Best Of 2024 - Music, Sound &...
191224   Splintered - Somewhere Betwee...
031224   Shane Ryan-Reid - Coerced and...
221024   Whore’s Breath - life’s h...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2025. Twenty four years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom