EDÉN CARRASCO / LEONEL KAPLAN / CHRISTOF KURZMANN – Una Casa / Observatorio

Three Chairs / Jardinista!

I wasn’t aware of the fact that Christof Kurzmann – the artistic entity of whom my acquaintance is deeper in this trio – resides in Buenos Aires. The two tracks presented in this CDR were recorded there and in Santiago, respectively; besides the Austrian’s customary utilization of the “lloopp” software, the instrumentation comprises Carrasco’s alto sax and Kaplan’s trumpet. The longest episode is “Una Casa”, starting with subtle hisses and subdued gurgles that made me worry a bit in view of a possible unpteenth replica of the various combinations of saliva-drenched emissions within a conduit. It does move around similar coordinates, but for our good luck there’s some caution among the players that prevents the performance from falling under substandard levels. The latter undesirable occurrence is avoided thanks to sudden surges during which the three voices are fused in a single body – naturally enhanced by the computer’s treatment – waking the listener up from conscious torpor while orienting the general sound towards a higher degree of minimal vigour. The fourteen minutes of “Observatorio” appear quieter, the same judicious moves and relative swells observable in that context, too. The experience and sensibility of the involved parties contribute to elevate the level of an otherwise pretty average recording, ending with a barking dog whose opinion on the music is probably more relevant than this reviewer’s.