Genre/Influences: Experimental, Abstract.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Cyclic Law welcomes a new artist from Russia. Dagmar Gertot already released a few productions, but remains a rather unfamiliar name. “Os Lacrimale” features eight songs, which are clearly very special in their global approach.
Content: “Os Lacrimale” is without a doubt one of the most surprising and ‘atypical’ releases from the Cyclic Law roster. You rapidly hear the work is mainly based upon a kind of free-style experiment with vocals. It’s totally improvised and features glossolalia technique (using an unknown language). This approach has something intriguing, even a bit witchcraft-driven, but still totally Abstract by the injection of real instruments like piano, accordion, horns ao.
+ + + : This is more than a simply unusual production on Cyclic Law. I can’t remember having ever heard a similar Experimental production –even if Phurpa also likes to experiment with vocals, but in a totally different way. This is pure expression, which reminds me of Outsider Art. The vocals are intriguing and sometimes anguishing when joined with different instruments or weird piano arrangements.
– – – : I’ve been never a huge adapt of this kind of improvisation. I imagine this kind of work as a part of a wider conceptual approach featuring a strong visual dimension like film, theatre, dance ao.
Conclusion: Dagmar Gertot has composed a work out of the box, but unfortunately it can’t totally convince me for its total Experimental approach.
Best songs: “Two-Headed Roe Deer”.
Rate: (5½).
Artist: www.gertot.com / www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004782136905
