I once saw Coppice (duo consisting of Joseph Kramer and Noé Cuéllar) perform a great piece utilizing a pump organ and analog electronics at the typically laptop-heavy Spark Music Festival in Minneapolis. The striking parts about Coppice’s set was how they didn’t make their electronics the focal point of the piece or transform the pump organ into something alien, but instead naturally expanded the acoustics of their instruments.
On Compound Form, the duo continues to explore the possibilities of expanding acoustic sonorities through the use of subtly placed electronics, and the results are stunning. The sole 30-minute composition that makes up this release ebbs and flows through rich drones, fractured melodies, and airy moments of near-negative space. Throughout, it’s often hard to tell when the natural sounds of the duo’s prepared pump organ end and when the electronic alterations begin. Despite this seemingly limited palette of sounds, Coppice excel at creating a surprisingly diverse tapestry out of their tools of choice in a manner that resembles the instrumental expansion of Pauline Oliveros’ accordion works and Jason Kahn’s percussion recordings.
Compound Form is out now via Triple Bath. You can listen to an excerpt of the album below:
• Coppice: http://www.futurevessel.com/coppice
• Triple Bath: http://www.triplebath.gr
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