A review of ‘hEre nOw theN’ from the guitar magazine Sześć Strun Świata #poland
Thank you @jacek świtacz for the wonderful words and your in depth view
English text:
It has been known for a long time that for some guitarists six strings are not enough to describe the musical world of their imaginations. We know the achievements of Göran Söllscher – the precursor of the 11-string lute guitar, or Paul Galbraith, who played an eight-string instrument held in a cello manner. This pioneering group includes Giorgos Tabakis, who decided to express his original visions also use an eight-string silent instrument, ie devoid of a resonance tube, which requires electronic amplification. The creator of this guitar is Yorgos Bechlivanoglou, who dedicated it to the author of this album.
I cannot resist the impression that the presented pieces are a record of the inspirations that arose while discovering the “secrets” of this instrument, which, clearly audible, effectively stimulated the composer’s creative imagination. The musical language used by Giorgos Tabakis is thoroughly contemporary, embedded in a jazz color and free harmonics of the music of the second half of the 20th century. On the one hand, it uses the long sound of the strings to savor rich chords, and on the other hand, it clearly emphasizes the rhythmic and motoric elements.
Both the title of the album: Here Now Then and the titles of the individual tracks present the sources of inspiration and provide a kind of clue for the listener’s imagination to follow the author’s intention. The dramatic, anxious Transition (no. 9) contrasts sharply with the harp-dreamed Dream within a Dream (no. 5), Attraction (no. 1) really attracts attention with its associations with Pat Metheny’s music. .. and I leave the rest of my associations to those who will succumb to the encouragement to get to know this extraordinary musical space.
It must be admitted that the specific, “electric”, and at the same time harp and spatial sound of the Bechlivanoglou guitar perfectly harmonizes with the works by Tabakis presented on this album. Their unique atmosphere may inspire “seeking” guitarists to explore this type of instrument, and it will give other listeners a chance to taste the poetics of the guitar in the augmented reality of the “eight strings of the world”.
Jacek Świtacz
Ekfrassis Productions Moov – travel guitar
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