Odeya Nini: voice, field recordings, tapes
The sister of Achinoam Nini – namely, the famous Israeli pop singer better known as Noa – Odeya Nini utilizes her voice in contexts that are unquestionably more investigative, privileging its vibrational powers in conjunction with body movement, nonverbal articulation and semi-composed sketching of affectingly perceived physicalness. This debut features her talents magnified by diverse lenses, eight tracks whose orbit encompasses several communicative typologies. Earnest “regular” singing spiced with slight incidents, either in the studio (“Mi See Ti”) or in frequency-enhancing locations (“Tunnel”); imitation of natural circumstances (“Dalai”); spontaneous technical wizardry (“Idiomia”); layering and looping (the splendid “Cyclicality”); timbrally altered recitation (“There Are So Many Things That I Have To Tell You”). We can also savor an episode based on found sounds: “Tapestry Of Synonyms” is not bad at all, deeper as it is in its naivety than some of the stuff heard from “specialists” of the area. In spite of studies with Theo Bleckmann and performances of Meredith Monk’s works in her resume, Nini’s essential tone in its straightest embodiment reminds me a bit of Irene Papas, which translates as “kudos” in this reviewer’s book. The music’s experimental sides are presented with decency and unpretentiousness, a major plus if you ask me; I did not detect aromas of cheap replicas or pseudo-mystic attitudes. There’s something to learn from this record, and I am definitely going to keep my ears open for future manifestations of Odeya’s endowment.
MASSIMO RICCI. TOUCHING EXTREMES. 