llama

Sometimes, there are really mystic moments: You listen to a record and the music touches you deep inside. I mean the moment when time suddenly seems to be irrelevant – as happened with llama!
It’s really incredible, the sound Ravid Goldschmidt raises from the Hang, a strange Swiss percussion instrument. What at first glance seems to be two woks, emerges as a fascinating percussion instrument. Be reassured, from the very first note, the sound will attract and fascinate you! It’s music from history, from lost cultures with ruminant repetitiveness, underscored by the character of the Hangs: archaic, Pentatonic and Aeolic.
Against all expectations, the Hang (Swiss-German for hand) is an instrument with a wide range of dynamics and variety of colours – and Ravid’s performance is clear evidence of his virtuosity!
Recorded in a small chapel in Barcelona, the CD captures the atmosphere and spaciousness completely. llama (which means "flame" or "fire") takes you on a journey to lost cultures, but also into yourself. The voice of Sílvia Pérez Cruz with her dark timbre, earthy, with a melancholic undertone in each note, seems almost like a second instrument. The Spanish or African influenced songs, alternating with instrumental tracks, draw from jazz, traditional folk and classical music. This apparently random mating develops into a powerful dream team to create a new listening experience. My discovery of the year!

Reviewed by AKB
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