(ECM)As the charismatic young Armenian-American pianist Tigran Hamasyan made plain from the start,his ancestry would always anchor his music however eclectic and westernised it became. Hamasyan’s folk references (notably to Komitas, Armenia’s legendary composer-priest) bring a timeless lyrical lilt to the modern sound of this new electro-acoustic quartet, and which features the luminous trumpet sound of Arve Henriksen,guitars by Eivind Aarset and cutting-edge electronics from Jan Bang. The pairing of Hamasyan and Henriksen, meanwhile, or brings an unexpectedly song-based seductiveness to an all-improv session including such hi-tech experimenters as Aarset and Bang. One CD rather than two might have tightened the drama and dynamics,but the sounds herein – Henriksen’s opulent midrange tones and pleading ascents amid Hamasyan’s bubbling-stream ruminations; discreetly skittish dances; plugged effects mimicking horn harmonies; and occasional exhilarating free-improv – announce the arrival of an elite collective with a distinctive identity and ample potential.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com