By Martin Schray
I do have a soft spot for guitar/drum duos. For Derek Bailey/Paul Motian, Masahiko Togashi/Masayuki Takayanagi, Tashi Dorji/Tyler Damon, William Hooker/Thurston Moore, and – not to forget – the wonderful Xenofox (Olaf Rupp/Rudi Fischerlehner). Lampen (Kalle Kalima on guitar and Tatu Rönkkö on drums) is also part of that list. “Würgeengel,” named after Luis Bunuel’s surrealist film drama (the word is the German translation for El ángel exterminador), is a mini-album consisting solely of the eponymous song, and it’s a little masterpiece. Following on from their second album Halogen the two Finnish musicians have now shifted the style of their music from a more pro-rock-ish approach to atmospheric ambient sounds. Kallima’s guitar literally floats through the piece, it’s full of delicate arpeggios, harmonics, tender feedbacks and notes fading into thin air. There’s no display of technique whatsoever; it’s just a celebration of the beauty of the sound. Bill Frisell must have been looking around the corner during the recording.
The whole thing is supported by Tatu Rönkkö’s dark drums, which are also less interested in rhythms than in sound. Only few bright cymbals, hi-hat and snare drum sounds are to be found, instead a lot of work is done with mallets, there are lots of trills and crescendos. It’s as if you were looking for shelter in a stalactite cave and the thunderstorm slowly moves away, but the wind is still whistling through the rock formations. Only at the end, after eight minutes, does the improvisation swell a little, but just briefly, to allow even more time for expansive chords and tones.
Music for taking off, winding down, meditating, chilling out. Definitely the surprise of the last few months.
Lampen’s Würgeengel is available as a download. You can listen to it and buy it here: