CD – Noton

‘There is no defense, opposition, or rejection to the hubris of the hybrid form’. This was a comment from our review of the previous release in this series, which began in 2021 and propels Alva Noto back into the spotlight. A body of work that provides further confirmation – as if any were truly needed – of an incontrovertible talent with a long and praiseworthy career that began in the nineties and was built through an interdisciplinary approach which decisively blurs the boundaries between music, art, science and technology. Each of the Hybr:id releases are a unique world of sound, possessing unique sculptural identities where almost every track evolves into the next. For Noto, it is essential that the listener follows the planned sequences to allow the sounds and structures to reveal themselves completely, highlighting all their nuances and complexities while engaging with ever new compositional techniques, pursuing complex geometries, contradictory visions, and mathematical imagery. Here the sounds move between stylized and relaxed rhythms, creating dreamlike atmospheres composed of the most disparate frequencies. As with the two previous iterations of the series, the music arises from a collaboration with a choreographer, in this case, the American artist Richard Siegal, who for Ballet of (Dis)Obedience is in turn inspired by Shuudan Koudou, a Japanese performative ‘sport’ consisting of a series of synchronised group sequences creating an enthralling collective experience. The depth of Hybr:id III, then, lies not only in the construction of articulated scenarios and hypnotic forms but also in the suggestion of a sound that itself becomes movement and space, reflecting the rigor and harmony of the intertwining of bodies on the stage. Each track lives and breathes, inviting the listener to follow a well-defined path, which gives life to an immersive and meditative experience. Among the most significant tracks of the release, we can include ‘Noh Talk’, which opens the album with a condensed and minimal atmosphere, while ‘Sync Dark’, stands out for its pulsating rhythms and shadowy sequences, which create a sense of tension. ‘Obsessive Behaviour Day’ explores equally dark elements yet is even more maniacal, before ‘Épilogue’ closes the journey with an array of sounds and contemplative tones – a powerful synthesis that consolidates the abstraction and conceptuality of the entire experience.

 

Alva Noto – Hybr:id III