This new trio of Berlin improvisers delivers a gorgeously tactile, meditative series of restrained excursions that turns the traditional expectations of each instrument upside down. Pianist Magda Mayas, of course, long ago built a soundworld all her own with rigorous preparations, working under the hood of her keyboard like a scientist, while the astringent pizz and striated arco of violinist Biliana Voutchkova and percussive tonguing techniques and breathy sibilance of recorder player Miako Klein provide worthy, fascinating counterpoint. The five pieces reveal how locked-in the musicians are, deftly complementing and building on ever-changing gestures and textures without ever following or mimicking one another. The opening piece 'Yungen' serves as a stylistic model for what follows, as the collective improvisation glides through a variety of discreet yet seamless episodes marked by sound that spikes, whispers, shimmies, and floats, with each component carefully considering what surrounds it. The quicksilver adjustments and shifts are beguiling, but ultimately this session is special because they carve out a sound world that transports the listener into some elusive environment, whether deep in a forest or blindfolded within a windswept, abandoned factory.

About SPOKEN / UNSPOKEN
​The Quietus / Peter Margasak ​​