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acoustic guitar Archive

Fantasia Andaluza – Petri Kumela & Joonas Widenius – Various works for classical and flamenco guitar – Alba Music

by Audiophile Audition | Nov 9, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

Fantasia Andaluza – Petri Kumela & Joonas Widenius – Various works for classical and flamenco guitar [TrackList follows] – Alba Music multichannel SACD ABCD391, 49:00 (7/29/16) ****: A unique disc that offers Spanish guitar with flamenco guitar. Fantasía Andaluza, the guitar duo record of Kumela and Widenius brings something a bit new to the music world. It’s a mixture of flamenco guitar and Classical guitar. As the liner notes point out, the two instruments have travelled through history side by side, at times very close and at others further apart. The two top Finnish guitarists on this disc mirror their instruments one against the other. The repertoire is based on the traditional Spanish guitar music, but the two guitars together make this a unique listening experience. The mixing of a classical and flamenco guitarist gives the music a rather different sound. Some of the works on this disc were written for guitar, others are transcriptions. This SACD 5.1 recording is very good. Each guitar gets its own channel in front, while the rear channels provide a hint of the recording venue, which was a small chapel in Finland. The contrast between the classical and flamenco guitar are quite striking. The […]

Chat Noir – Nine Thoughts for One Word – RareNoise

by Audiophile Audition | Aug 4, 2016 | Pop/Rock/World CD Reviews

A trio which finds the middle ground between electronics and acoustics. Chat Noir – Nine Thoughts for One Word [TrackList follows] – RareNoise RNR064, 48:09 [5/20/16] ****: (Michele Cavaliari – keyboards, piano, effects; Luca Fogagnolo – electric bass, upright bass, trombone; J. Peter Schwalm – electronics, beats, keyboards, acoustic guitar; Daniel Calvi – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, lap steel guitar (tracks 3-4, 7); Alessandro Tomaselli – vocals, lyrics (track 3)) The RareNoise label is becoming the go-to imprint for musicians who defy simple categorization. Chat Noir is an Italian trio which easily fits into the RareNoise roster. Keyboardist Michele Cavaliari, bassist Luca Fogagnolo and newest member, J. Peter Schwalm (a Brian Eno collaborator who adds electronics, beats, keyboards, and acoustic guitar) create a tempting mixture of ambient music elements, electronic textures, modern chamber music and electric jazz. The threesome’s latest is the 48-minute Nine Thoughts for One Word, their sixth recording and second for RareNoise. Nine Thoughts for One Word has been released as a digital download, on vinyl, and as compact disc. This review refers to the CD configuration. While Chat Noir isn’t like anyone else, their material has an aesthetic and adventurous attribute which should be appreciated by […]