Isabel Latorre & Edu Comelles’s “For Pauline” reviewed by The Sound Projector

Minimalist accordion tones from Isabel Latorre and Edu Comelles on their cassette tape For Pauline (CRÓNICA 144-2018). As readers may have guessed, it’s inspired directly by the music of Pauline Oliveros, herself now regarded as one of the “greats” of American minimalism and feted for her innovative empowering ideas and sensitive performing skills. The work was intended as a realisation of Oliveros’ deep listening philosophy, but the project gained extra poignancy when Pauline Oliveros died and the musicians decided to turn it into a tribute recording. On Side A, Isabel Latorre plays live at a music festival in 2017, while on the B side we have a composition by Edu Comelles called ‘La Isla Plana’ based on Latorre’s recordings. Latorre’s side feels sketchy and wispy to me, but at least it has a certain spontaneity, as she strives to match the gift for intuition that was one of Oliveros’ hallmarks. Comelles’s piece is more structured, but mostly flat and uneventful nonetheless. Still, you can discern the breathing lungs of the accordion layered into this piece of processed minimalism. Ed Pinsent

via The Sound Projector