Reviews for On Goldberg Variations
Since its release last september On Goldberg Variations has gotten quite a few nice reviews and mentions. Backlash is a small operation and very much a labour of love, so each time someone interracts with an album, it is cause for some real celebration on our end.
Many, many thanks to the reviewers who took the time to listen and interact with the project. We do encourage everyone to check out their sites for some of the best music journalism around today.
“The pieces reveal a filmic soundscape of stark beauty. ‘Numbers’ beguiles us with long ostinato passages and again the minimalist approach allows us to explore the sonic subtleties. ‘Running’ takes us closer to a known form but then injects long bars of silence between the phrases. ‘Together’ comes closer to Jazz sensibilities with its resonant voicings, which dance. Everything merits a deeper listening here as the journey is in part, subliminal; it will stretch some listeners toleration as avant-garde music frequently does.”
“There is a lot of concentration and reflection in each individual part. We can say that we are dealing with a study of the foundations of “Goldberg Variations”. An intriguing and original study.”
“Mathias Halvorsen & Jan Martin Gismervik add a new layer to the onion «On Goldberg Variations».
”
“The duo breathes new life into the passages they take from, making them sound like their own pieces - and in a way, they are. Although the combination of piano and percussion may give us the impression that this will be a jazz album, On Goldberg Variations goes much further, opting for the use of extended techniques and timbral explorations of both instruments.”
“Even though there is a lot on this release that I do not understand, and I also do not feel that I have learned more about the Goldberg Variations through the album, I was deeply fascinated by the soundscapes Halvorsen and Gimersvik take the listener through. This is a record that can really grow through deep listening.”