f.s. blumm & nils frahm: tag eins tag zwei

Followers of the Sonic Pieces catalog will already be familiar with both F.S.Blumm and Nils Frahm, as well as their acclaimed work as a duo. But although it finds them making use of familiar instruments, their third full-length collaboration, Tag Eins Tag Zwei, manages to add a new tone to their already unique language. By trading in the post-processed sound sculptures that made up the two preceding albums for intimate pieces of improvisation, this collaboration merges into the most soothing and life-affirming recording the two have produced so far. Guitars and toys flow next to piano and harmonium in an organic combination, shaping nine pieces that abnegate any common categorization. Incorporating classical, jazz, and folk influences, it's the genuine use of tricks and delays that lift these improvisations above the ordinary and make them both incredibly relaxing and exciting at the same time. The result is a perfect example of how immediacy can be the most powerful approach to creating music. Based on a remarkable understanding of each other's phrasing, the pair of sessions that form this album shows two vivid artists at the peak of their game -- unconditional spontaneity. CD in handmade cardboard sleeve.