Geodesia

Luís Peixoto belongs to a certain category of musicians that keep going back and forth, into and out of the more traditional forms. He never feels disorientated, nor does he stretch so far beyond the line that he ends up losing sight of his roots. Since he first became noticed for his work with the fiery group Dazkarieh, he has become known for applying his tasteful string playing to bands that shamelessly flirt with Portuguese, Iberian or Celtic folk music. Sometimes that also means delving deeply into electronics-tinged experimentations, such as the Stockholm Lisboa Project or his first solo album Assimétrico.

Built around a trio Peixoto put together with Spanish musicians Ciscu Cardona (guitar) and Rubén Bada (violin), Geodesia takes a step back on the approach he exploited in Assimétrico. While his debut album relied heavily on electronics, on Geodesia there is nothing of the kind. Unplugging the instruments, Peixoto is mostly interested in exploring the music that sprouts from a series of collaborations: with Cardona and Bada, but also summoning a bunch of musicians from Portugal and Spain, as well as Cape Verdean guitarist Hernani Almeida and Finnish violinist Esko Järvelä. Järvelä guests on ‘Going Over Distance’, one the album's highlights, porous to the special flair brought by the different musical worlds that beautifully intertwine. That is when Peixoto reaches his peak.