ALBUM REVIEWS
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ALBUM REVIEWS |
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gnac with Alessandra Celleti
THE RED PAGES VERTICAL FEATURES 6.9.10 @www.vanguard-online.co.uk
This is a strange one – a series of piano meditations with a sprinkling of bluesy rhythm guitar. It’s very filmic and illustrative without being merely decorative. It sits in a middle ground between classical through-composition and mood-based pieces like the electronic releases of AD Music. That’s not to say it is in any way ambient – there are strong melodic themes but they get repeated cycles and patterns of variation like the simpler work of Michael Nyman of Phillip Glass in his calmer moments. The set is clearly recorded live in the studio, with a nice sense of space, the resonance of a good piano and the feel of two musicians working cooperatively. The two instrumentalists are Mark (gnac) Tranmer on guitar and Alessandra Celletti on piano. Tranmer wrote the eight themes but the twenty-five statements and variations are collaborative between the two performers. You’ll not be surprised to hear the effect is hypnotic though its not trance-like, there is musical substance here for the brain to get hold of, however you can let it wash over you if you choose. Whichever you choose, the sound is beautifully produced with a classical sensibility that may see you looking around for the piano you can hear. CD 2 is some more pieces, electronic this time, from Mark Tranmer, less interesting than the first disc then some demos – with a very intimate acoustic ambience and at times an uncomfortable sonic closeness. They’re not essential but they are worth the time in their own right as well as providing an extension of the original vision. www.marktranmer.com www.alessandracelletti.com |
