Facing off in real time in nine flowing sections, Font deconstructs Rodriguez’ polyrhythmic improvisations as they both search for dual transcendence, echoes of notes captured in digital amber, hardware softened by flesh and blood.
Imagine a material transformation of the painting Man with a Guitar by Georges Braque into sound. For some, flamenco, while certainly one of the most complex and demanding of guitar styles, is hopelessly hackneyed, one of the most overexposed “world musics” since before the term was even coined. In fact, as far back as 1922, luminaries including Garcia Lorca and Andrés Segovia made clear their distaste for the decadent, saccharine state into which had fallen. With Flamenco Abstractions, however, electroacoustic artist David Font and the virtuoso Jose Luis Rodriguez take it to strange, new places. As IO, Puerto Rico-born Miami resident Font has been experimenting with African and Afro-Caribbean musics since the nineties, teasing out seldom-imagined and never-before heard resonances in traditional styles, while Spanish native Rodriguez is considered one of the most innovative and fluid players of his generation.
Facing off in real time in nine flowing sections, Font deconstructs Rodriguez’ polyrhythmic improvisations as they both search for dual transcendence, echoes of notes captured in digital amber, hardware softened by flesh and blood. Dubbing, glitching, sampling, reversing, folding and unfolding, Font´s mind is as nimble as Rodriguez´ fingers. His guitar turned cubist by Font´s manipulations, Rodriguez continues nevertheless to wield it with authority and imagination. The beauty of the music is more than ably reflected by the handmade artwork in which it is encased.
Flamenco Abstractions is available on Elegua. [Release page]
