The Cray Twins – In The Company Of Architects

thecraytwins_inthecompanyofarchitectsok

CD – Fang Bomb

The Cray Twins newest release, In The Company Of Architects, features Kai Fagaschinski on bass clarinet, Paul Baran on organ, buchla, and several electronic instruments, Antoine Beurger on flute, Werner Dafeldecker on guitar, Sergio Merce on micro-tonal saxophone, Ryoko Akama on modular synths, Bruno Duplant on temple bells, the voice of soprano Lavinia Blackwell and spoken word by Jessica Evelyn. In the eponymous first track, which is approximately 38 minutes, the treatments are minimalist and quite dark and closed, hovering between abnormal harmonies and developments, with hazy drones and rings, a muffled sound and some background noises, highs and lows from keyboards instruments and minaret voices. Is it experimental jazz? Electroacoustics? Are these sacred songs from some unknown sect? We don’t know, but the slowness of the sequences suggests some unconventional ritual, a call to prayer, the hidden tension of a prophecy or the need to catch some slight changes of state, with the background noises and fragments of melodies hooking the listener. The development of this first long suite is sometimes confused, but in other moments there are some clear resonances or enigmatic atmospheric reversals. The following track, “The Absence of Architects” is more broad and dreamy; in this composition Lavinia Blackwell wonderfully revitalizes vintage and dreamy atmospheres in a touching orchestral track. “Anarchitects” is the closing track: here the composition shows some synthetic and chaotic characteristics, which develop into a choral song, between rings and electronics, drones, and dreamy, sugared poetry declaiming voices. This new release for Fang Bomb clearly shows how these experimenters care about every single sound and the connection they might have in the compositions. The foundations of the work in poetry and sound art are also obvious. Here the Cray Twins make a great mix of intellectual and technical elements, designing mental passages in a refined and appealing narration.

 

The Cray Twins – Anarchitects