For those who have missed it, Biliana Voutchkova’s series of duo releases on Relative Pitch this year have all been eye-opening and worth investigating. The latest, with Tomeka Reid, though, ups the ante. Voutchkova’s approach to the violin is equal parts ecstatic and visceral. On Bricolage III, moments of surprising, elastic beauty intersect with inquisitive sonic threads stretched until they’re about to break. Joined by the inimitable (and newly awarded MacArthur Fellow!) Tomeka Reid, Bricolage III is rich with emotive details, winding aural currents, and lively interplay. Reid and Voutchkova have an instantly recognizable timbre and approach, but this music is so successful that neither dulls their own mode while still making space for the other. Every time I listen to this, it draws me closer as though I’m searching through each resonant rattle for a new hidden artifact. Textures scratch and whir through heavy atmospheres, packing worlds of emotion into every quiet soundscape. Voutchkova’s video heightens so much of the explorations, with shifting color palettes, shadow play, and organic imagery matching the tonal architecture. It all comes together with a stroke of astonishing magic. Bricolage III is fantastic. Highest possible recommendation.
Bricolage III is out now on Relative Pitch. Listen + order HERE. Biliana Voutchkova can be found via her website, and Tomeka Reid can be found via her own.
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