Electronicist and composer John Derek Bishop, who also trades as Tortusa, is quite the collaborator, always inviting players who will lend a fresh perspective to his shimmering, minimalist soundscapes. For Ekkofremtid, he has teamed up with oud player Khaled Habeeb, who infuses John’s found-sound influenced widescreen epics with an Eastern flavour that beguiles and charms in equal measure.
Capturing the desert wind amidst the shimmers of sound, we are instantly transported to distant golden vistas, the oud shivering in the cold air as the sun sets. John’s digital manipulation of the background places the oud in unusual spots, and the sparse sound and wavering strings make for a dreamy introduction. The way the oud drifts in and out of the spare backing brings some passing vibrancy to “Unmettelig Fryd” which has more of a bustling tone; a low thrum bears the listener over dusty rooftops, the vibrant burr of the oud bright against the incessant drift.
There is something ghostly or opaque about the backing, as if you can’t quite be sure from where the sounds are emanating; or are they just all around you, gently insinuating. The way the oud steps sprightly around the treacherous tracks and narrow passes like a mountain goat is a delight to follow; and as it moves, there are times where the electronics scatter like birds causing a whirling dance in the dust swirls.
Each piece paints a fresh picture; a brilliant widescreen vista with the beatless nature meaning they are open to move at will, with the oud often repeating a short motif that allows the backing to create a greater pattern around it, overwhelming and pulling it in a more abstract direction, almost like a tide ebbing and flowing.
Ekkofremtid is pretty immersive and is also surprisingly different to recent albums that John has been involved in, helped by the kaleidoscopic subtleties of Kahled’s playing. The album finds both players moving from strength to strength and leaves the listener anxious to see where this album may lead them.
-Mr Olivetti-
