David Abir & Ashley Wales

Here is an album of an astonishing beauty, which one would like to listen to some more often. It is already the third release of this set «exploration» of the Sulphur label, exalting the anguishes of a serene, quiet instrumental music, of a dangerous and fatal magnificence, filled of solitude.  Ashley Wales is not an unknown as he was the founder, with Karl Blake, of the mythical Shock Headed Peters. He also created then the group Spring Heel Jack, in another vein, collaborated with William Burroughs, towards the end of the life of this last one.  «Landscape» explores the arid lands of the prudish Albion, deep-rooted in the contemplation of its eternal nature. The track has only been composed from two sound sources, offering a meditative and aerial music, enveloped in soft repetitive volutes. Superb !
As for David Abir, he signs here his first recording. Having achieved classic studies of piano, Abir gets for this composition very close to Ashley Wales, with the same level of voluptuous grace cleared with purified notes, where come to mingle a voice and a cello, nearly unreal. Drawing his sources of inspirations in the music of Beethoven and Bach, as well as in the Persian music, Abir transcends the ways infinitely devolved to fatal beauty.
 
A superb album, of which one comes to regret that it only contains two tracks, very long fortunately!

Highly recommended !

Stéphane Fivaz
December  2000
 
Label : Sulphur Records (MELCD003)
Web : http://www.sulphurrecords.co.uk
 

Distribution :

Austria : Mego
Australia + New Zealand : Inertia
Benelux : Konkurrent
Denmark : Voices of Wonder
France : Ici d'Ailleurs
Germany : Rough Trade / Zomba
Portugal : Ananana
Switzerland : Karbon
UK : 3mv
USA : Beggars Banquet