John Kameel Farah/Nick Fraser

Reconstituted with treatments and contoured with synthesizer signals and programming, a distinct variant of creative music is created on Farahser by Torontonians, drummer Nick Fraser and keyboardist John Kameel Farah. Initially recording a series of acoustic duo improvisations, Farah with Fraser’s help, manipulated and fragmented the results to bring certain textures forward, downplay others and rework some with electronic interface.

Blurring the divergence between live and electronic textures, tracks shake and stretch out as formalist, percussive, constant and intermittent timbres instantly arise or suddenly fade in contrapuntal challenges as sounds meander among styles and genres. Constant drum rumbles and singular piano tones on “Twigs” for instance, suddenly confront ratcheting drones that vibrate alongside keyboard clips until all dissolve into a polyphonic conclusion.

With measured piano chording and drum beats constant throughout, the voltage thickening regularly makes the interface that much more noticeable. “Dirge” is an instance of this, as wave form crackles wash over regularized drum beats and processional piano patterns augment to heightened sequences alongside the processing.

Although these additional tones whizzing across the sound field help define the ingenuity of the program, Faser and Farah are clever enough to prevent electronics, whether pointillist or overpowering, to supersede personal musical innovation. Synthesizer whooshes and other oscillations may be omnipresent, but individual improvisational skills that drive percussion motions including tough ruffs, pumps and circular rotation or acoustic piano impressions that vary from sympathetic motif reconfigurations to dramatic timbral extensions, confirm the humanness that exists alongside the programming.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Flatland 2. Twigs 3. Insect Mountain 4. Waltz 5. Dirge 6. Baby Birds 7. The Churn 8. Elevator

Personnel: John Kameel Farah (piano, synthesizer and electronics) and Nick Fraser (drums)