Olivia Block

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With the release of Change Ringing by Olivia Block, she completes her trilogy that started with ‘Pure Gaze’ (see Vital Weekly 167) and Mobius Fuse (see Vital Weekly 285), both on Sedimental Records. There are similarities to be drawn now: all the three works are around thirty minutes, and all three use extensively sound material Block composed, played by others and used in the compositions. Here no less than fifteen musicians play trombone, oboe, percussion, clarinet, voice, saxophone, trumpet, bells and viola. All of these sounds, as-well as field recordings and electronics, make up a minimal sound – strangely enough, despite the unearthly rumble somewhere half way through. Instruments and sounds alike work here closely together to such an extent that it is hard to tell the difference. The instruments play sustained lines at times, and there is the addition of sustained field recordings. Everything moves in a slow way; slow but moving. Together with the previous parts, this is a more than excellent work, and a pity they didn’t fit all on continuous CD.