Now and Then

The term ‘world music’ has become increasingly vague over the years, and although this recording, from a trio of Romanian instrumental and literary artists, could be loosely described as such, the reference points are not Bregović, TPOK Jazz, or Yo Yo Ma. Instead, touchstones include The Necks, Evan Parker and Slowly Rolling Camera, with intimations of the Romanian Spectralist movement a more distant presence.

The quartet – wind instruments, violin, electronics and percussion – work with folk-flavoured themes, taking a highly improvisatory approach, with structures emerging incrementally over the course of the piece. As an example, ‘Când Era în Vremea Mea’ opens with a series of drones, first as pulsing electronics rich in harmonics, joined by violin, with a strange insectile rattle of percussion, leading to a Phrygian-mode melody on clarinet, then a distant vocal, drenched in echo and reverb. It is not until halfway through the 13-minute piece that a drum pattern appears, underscoring a weave of slow instrumental meditations, enriched by electronic processing. At this point the texture has become so dense that it is impossible to be sure whether you are hearing electronics, a treated instrument, or an acoustic instrument being played unconventionally. A fascinating and thoughtful recording.