The forthcoming release on Audiomoves is planned for September 2011 and it will be ‘Astoria’ by The OO-Ray. Audiomoves is brought to you by David Newman, a recording artist (as Autistici), head of the Audiobulb Records label and clinical psychologist by trade. The OO-Ray is Ted Laderas who is scientist and amateur cellist.
The tracks in ‘Astoria’ came from a year-long project to produce an improvisation a week. Laderas’ year was filled with small triumphs, funerals, depression, and joy, punctuated with trips to Astoria, Oregon to recharge and recuperate. Recorded and selected for this album the pieces seem to be heavily inspired by recent works by Aaron Martin who is certainly one of the leading names in the range of experimental electro-acoustic cellists. Nevertheless Laderas finds a way to express his music in his very own way. For me personally a bit too much out of tune every now and then the repetitive cello arrangements are mostly melancholic – and for me ‘Marzo’ and ‘Gwageus’ seem to be the most outstanding works in this collection of improvisations. The final piece ‘Palimpsest’ has an even anthemic atmosphere with its droning cello layers – its abrupt ending comes surprisingly but fits to the album concept in my opinion. Somehow Laderas succeeds to remain on the thin line of highly repetitive arrangements without boring the listener but also without overstraining through experimental excesses. It seems to be well-balanced though I’d have loved to see some more dynamic changes on the overall album.
‘Astoria’ is a good collection of improvised cello works. I seem to remember that I heard something about a collaborative project between The OO-Ray and Marcus Fischer by the way. We should watch out for this…
[ 4,2 / 5 ]
Pingback: Astoria Reviewed by Electroacoustic Tales and Textura | Waveguide Audio