A CD review - “Uniko” – Kronos Quartet – Kimmo Pohjonen – Samuh Kosminen

“I have been a big fan of the Kronos Quartet for several decades now. But I must say when I first thought about the idea of String Quartet with Accordion, Samples and Programming I was not too sure about what the results were going to be. Knowing how adventurous Kronos has always been, I put my headphones on with eager ears and an open mind.

I have been immensely surprised to find myself really enjoying this album. I mean to the point of it being one of my favorite Kronos Quartet pieces. The accordion fits in like it has always been the fifth member that should have always been there. The tonal quality of the reeds seems to blend with the strings almost as if it were a string instrument itself. The bellows breathe right along side the fleshiness of the bows creating a rich and unique sound that even in the most dissonant sections can be quite soothing on the ears.

The pieces ebb and flow between dense and scattered particles of repetitive patterns and sampled vocals in hushed moaning. Synthesizer flurries and the sound of studio tapes running out create a feeling of technological breakdown. But the music never looses its beating heart. A very human longing slices through the cold modernist moments as the beautiful strings surround and embrace with gorgeous melodies and the fantastic interplay that not many other groups in any genre have ever been capable of.

Kimmo Pohjonen’s accordion plays aggressively and vibrantly throughout the piece showing his immense virtuosity on the instrument. His writing along with Samuh Kosminen is deeply moving and gorgeously orchestrated for this particular instrumentation. It never seems like there is a string quartet with an accordion stuck in there just because that’s the instrument the composer happens to play. This music is urgent. This music is lush and vibrant.

I loved listening to this CD for the first time. I can only imagine how much my appreciation will grow as I continue to hear and discover new things inside its mysteries over time. “Uniko” is a fantastic piece of music that should be listened to by anyone who is interested in hearing how an untraditional pairing of instruments just might be able to become a new tradition.

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abadpoem

Oh vertigo, oh vertigo
Why won’t you go away?
You drop into town
And spin me ‘round
Most every single day
I’d stay away from solid food
As if that would stop your twirl
Sitting here and breathing air
I think I’m going to hurl
Lay in bed and take my meds
Nothing seems to work
I once was nice, just ask my wife
But now I act like such a jerk
Doctor checked me
Still wants to test me
MRI’s and EEG’s
Injection here
Some more pills there
Cure is worse than the disease
At drop of hat
My handle’s flown
This rollercoaster bumpy
It’s just a fact
Wish weren’t true
I’m too good at being grumpy
Oh nausea, sweet nausea
Why have you come to stay?
I’m on my knees
Please hear my pleas
You’re driving me insane
I choke and cough
Hot tea and broth
Nothing makes you leave
Every step I take
Every move I make
I hunch over and heave
No memory left of feeling good
No calm refresh-ed remains
Stiff muscled hands
Legs unbalanced stand
So tired of all these pains
Read affirmations positive
Transcendental meditation
Here comes another side effect
Try a different medication
Cry foul at this unjustly deal
Throw my flag down on this play
Yet it could be worse sometimes me thinks
I could be gone already
Suck it up dive right back in
Dirt rubbed on back in the game
Breathe in breathe out
Breathe in breathe out
Tomorrows another day

-me

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