Before starting to type, I lived with Pèkisyon Funebri (“funereal percussion”) in my ears, on and off, over several weeks. Not content with that I read this interview, an indicator of where MMMD – formerly Mohammad – stand at the moment in regard to the salient aspects of their research. After Coti K’s departure, Ilios and Nikos Veliotis haven’t lost an ounce of the stirring inauspiciousness of their droning melodies, though they’re now classifying them – perhaps ironically – as pop. Even so, the main focus remains the sensible analysis of a joint subterranean vibration generated by the lowest partials of the audible gamut, including those “audible” only from within (or under the feet, if you so prefer).
Indeed, what distinguishes the duo from the throngs of nonentities is the sheer amount of study spent on every sonic cell. In recent times, the neurotic factors that have brought many people to stick the “doom” label on this music are being partially contradicted by the appearance of slight structural variations; feeble daybreaks attempting to rupture a massive glumness. Sections suggesting a more pronounced reflectiveness (comprising a brief piano interlude, believe it or not). Aural locations where trademark tremors morph into a waterfall of sorts: equally powerful, hundreds of spectral refractions and resonances highlighted by the acoustic properties of the instruments. We recognize the master’s hand at work while still willing to travel back to the womb days with the unconscious mind. The breathtaking glissandos are there, the ritual traits undiminished. However, there is unquestionably a different light: a sense of connectedness built on a reduced quantity of gestures in conjunction with the same impenetrability of an old Tibetan monk.
These pieces may evoke severity, yet will always welcome those who trust the healing force of a finely balanced combination of frequencies. Another collection of slo-mo ascensions to the heights of actual knowledge: that which is acquired through sound, not words.
MASSIMO RICCI. TOUCHING EXTREMES. 