PRICE:
$15.50
IN STOCK
ARTIST
TITLE
Paper Of Pins
FORMAT
CD

LABEL
CATALOG #
KK 050CD KK 050CD
GENRE
RELEASE DATE
11/24/2009

With the release of the album Paper Of Pins, Karaoke Kalk brings you a truly harmonious collaboration between Scottish composer and pianist Bill Wells, Annie Whitehead (Penguin Cafe Orchestra), Stefan Schneider (Mapstation, To Rococo Rot) and Berlin electronic singer/songwriter Barbara Morgenstern. Bill Wells is already known, among other things, for his 2006 release Osaka Bridge (KK 035CD) together with Maher Shalal Hash Baz, and for his release Pick Up Sticks in 2004, on which these 4 players also feature together. Mr. Wells is responsible for arrangements and samplers, while Barbara Morgenstern experiments on the keyboards, Stefan Schneider controls the synthesizers and bass and Annie Whitehead plays trombone and melodica. The coming together of this quartet on Paper Of Pins has resulted in mature, yet unforced sounding compositions. The touching number "Brown Recluse" wins you over with its catchy piano sounds and subtle trumpet which is rounded off by electronica. It's a small orchestral gem in a jazz style, which is still edgy despite its perfection. This is highlighted, for example, by the fact that you can hear the brass player drawing breath on some tracks. Certainly, the Scottish composer is no perfectionist. Far more important is the melting together of melodies and a certain strangeness in the notes used. Things start to get more abstract on pieces like "Rowing Without Oars." It's a lively mish-mash of various, sometimes piercing tone variations and swirling keyboard sounds. Occasionally fragile or impressively impulsive. Every now and then, the strongly accented horns come into play, and they couldn't sound more improvised. All in all, this is a fascinating album with emotional and also artistically-ornate melodies. In this way, every track contains its very own unique beauty and fervor.