Playscapes

There is so much to love about Playscapes. Bartosik has always had a capacity to surprise and delight through exploring her Estonian traditions, to her classical and folk music studies in Sweden and beyond.

She describes Playscapes as ‘a patchwork of places, of fleeting connections… playing around with my thoughts and identity.’ Titles take us to Helsinki, Japan, London and Stockholm, hidden places too, inviting us into her inner worlds. To do this, Bartosik has explored her accordion even further, pushing its boundaries, using pedals for depth and some of the pulsating rhythms which inhabit Playscapes, intertwining with Estonian zither and vocals.

She achieves rich mahogany sounds (try ‘Hibiki’). Her playground of the rhythms of language in ‘Reval: Pettäsaamislugu’ is compelling. Throughout, I’m struck by her huge range of textures and dynamics: Bartosik works like a sculptor, taking her materials back to the studio and listening to and crafting the music, as heard in ‘London’, a track born on a four am underground journey, beautifully capturing the sounds of airless tunnels and musical voices interrupting each other in teasing counterpoint.

Heartfelt music that I just want to be surrounded by.