TIM HECKER & AIDAN BAKER: FANTASMA PARASTASIE

This project could easily be tagged as "Chamber Music for White Noise, Semi-Acoustic Instruments & Distorted Electronic Guitars and Pianos". The presence of Aidan Baker is unmistakable, not only by contrast, but also in character. Tim Hecker's work sums his best in order for a third language to develop. Electronic "Chamber Music" that has both a dark and bright counterpart, blended in a language that is common for the 2 musicians. The balance in performance & music-composition, is very inspired and maybe even respectful of their respective means of expression and need for freedom, but never losing sense of the "whole picture". Short- timed for today's standards less than 35 minutes, although the very long list of sections, they actually add up only to 7 individual songs, tastefully connected, as if parts of a symphony. That is one of TH's great achievements, the use of distorted ensemble music DE-CONSTRUCTED first, in able to Re-construct it later into a new personal "aestetique". (his new work "Virgins" relies mainly on that). Aidan Baker carries the weight of providing the "bright" counterparts (small feat) with his un-common ability to skip as always the predictable road, in favor of unexplored ones, without being extreme.(his solo work is by far more "universal" than Hecker's). Balanced, ORIGINAL, daring and beautiful without intention, in short, sublime! In hope of more collaborations between this creative pair of composers and performers. For now, ****4.5 full, PA stars.