This double-CD documents the meeting of two intuitive and frighteningly innovative musical minds (who both happen to play the same instrument) playing tuned and "detuned" pianos, one at a festival in 1991, and one at a piano factory in Germany. These duets are investigations into sonorities and tonalities that are accomplished during the act of duet improvisation. There are textures and rhythms possible only when one pianist is experiencing directly the tonal possibilities and harmonic registers in the act of responding to them. On the "tuned" set, there is so much of a musical meld, gentle competition, and sonic revelry, it's impossible to hear who is playing where; the feeling is one of confusion for the listener, but as comfort, there is a familiarity in the tones these improvisations take on. On disc one, each of the players is in a setting where they can hear themselves with familiarity; listening is an important element, but improvisatory know-how can rule the duel in a tough moment. On disc two, the "detuned" set, where the pianos are diagonally tuned -- "both pianos are tuned a quarter tone apart in their middle registers, while the lower and upper registers are stretched flat, respectively sharp, gradually, within the range of a minor second" (from the liner notes) -- no such thing is possible. Each musician is feeling his/her way through a new set of seemingly infinite tonal possibilities and equations that don't add up in the same manner. To add this kind of discovery onto a duet with a player in the same circumstances is either brave or stupid in a recording session. Pure musicality and instinct are the only components applicable with intense listening. There is the notion of dynamic, of course, but it would be too easy, too remedial to take that way out. What makes this recording so interesting to listen to is the "how" in each player's vocabulary that makes it work -- and most of the time it does very well. It may be excessive, but it's also a one of a kind document of a nearly hidden moment in musical history. ~ Thom Jurek

Icelandic producer Valgeir Sigurdsson is best known for his work for other artists (Bj�rk and Bonnie "Prince" Billy, mostly), so it actually comes as no surprise that his solo debut...comes as a surprise. It is a "producer's record," in that Sigurdsson called in favors across the board (although, no, Bj�rk is not part of the adventure), lining up a revolving cast of musicians and three singers: Billy, Faun Fables' Dawn McCarthy, and Machine Translations' J. Walker. However, despite all the diversity among constituent parts, the whole remains surprisingly -- that word again -- consistent. In fact, listening to Ekvilibrium helps you pinpoint and sum up what Sigurdsson brings to other people's records. This debut features quiet electro-acoustic folk pieces made of delicate electronic textures, lushly scored acoustic instruments (lots of strings, subdued piano courtesy of Nico Muhly, occasional brass instruments), and a dreamy feel. In other words: simple compositions developing through complex arrangements. Ekvilibrium contains ten tracks, including four songs and six instrumentals. The album begins with one of KTU's Samuli Kosminen's rough-edged beats ("A Symmetry"), followed by the first song, "Evolution of Waters," the first of two tracks penned by Sigurdsson and Will Oldham. The first half of the album follows a general curve toward the orchestral peak of "Winter Sleep," featuring a ten-piece ensemble and a gripping vocal delivery from Dawn McCarthy. After that, things boil down toward "Kin," Billy's second song. If the songs are more immediately grasped, the instrumentals also provide their fair share of highlights. Highly recommended to fans of post-rock and modern folk. ~ Fran‡ois Couture