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Multiples, the first disc released by Creative Sources, explores the idea of the parts as the whole by presenting a series of twenty-eight musical vignettes between approximately one and four minutes in length. In each of the small improvisations, each musician (Rodrigues, cellist Guilherme Rodrigues, and percussionist/acoustic guitarist José Oliveira) concentrates on only one or two musical ideas or techniques, with, at times, overlaps between the sounds that any one musician utilizes from one fragment to another. There's a great deal of pizzicato plucking, rubbing of wound strings, and short bursts of rapid bowing from the stringed instruments, with Oliveira's percussion consisting mainly of quick rolls, truncated cymbal splashes, and the jangling of various other implements. Multiples contains the most spirited playing on any of the Creative Sources discs reviewed here, and though more prominent stating of the chosen ideas in each multiple would benefit the conceptuality of the disc, Multiples is a fairly successful experiment. Sudden Music, CS 002, features Rodrigues again on violin and viola, with accompaniment from Oliveira on percussion and the inside of a piano, and António Chaparreiro on electric guitar. The trio, rather than dealing with the bursts of music that characterize Multiples, coax sounds out of silence, placing equal importance on both the output of their instruments and the moments in which they're at rest. The music is sparse and barren; even at a high volume there are few points at which it's above a whisper. Rodrigues is again the focal point of the improvisations, his sonorous tones and short segments of mangled bowing set the tone for the others, with Chaparreiro sometimes almost inaudible. Though the disc is entitled Sudden Music, there are few moments in which any music is even remotely as jarring as the title could be read to imply. True, the low volume and lack of bombast in the music create a more cohesive blend between sound and silence, but they also create a sense of distance and coldness that leave Sudden Music flat. Rodrigues and Oliviera are supplemented on 23 Exposures by soprano saxophonist Marco Franco. Thematically linked to the groups' (and Paes') seemingly common appreciation for photography, 23 Exposures is composed of a series of 23 improvised "snapshots." Closer to Multiples in spirit than Sudden Music, the album features quality improvisation, no matter the intensity or volume. Though often frustratingly quiet, Franco proves to be a deserving collaborator. His chameleon-like sustain fades in and out of the mix, and his contribution to the other musicians' work is far more substantial than that of their previous colleagues. Rodrigues and Oliviera both show a noticeable development in their use of extended technique, with Oliviera's array of percussion becoming larger and more intriguing. 23 Exposures is well balanced, almost to a fault, as the trio can sometimes begin to sound too comfortable with their surroundings. This, however, doesn't mar the music's overall effect, one that cements 23 Exposures as the best overall Creative Sources album reviewed here. For Ficta, the most recent Creative Sources release, the old guard of Rodrigues and Oliviera is augmented by Guilherme Rodriguies on cello and pocket trumpet, and Argentine Gabriel Paiuk on piano. Taking its name from the word that symbolized improvised sections in music composed before the Renaissance. The disc is meant to function as a musical statement of Zen nihilism; the improvisation is allowed to collapse into silence and nothingness (hence the nihlism), only to rise again in a different form (the Zen). Admittedly, this may be the most far-fetched of the thematic skeleton of any of these four albums, but it's easy to forget the improvisers' intentions and concentrate on the music. This, however, brings little more satisfaction. There are fleeting moments in which the group hit on something worthwhile, but, due to the way the music is constructed, these moments soon disappear into nothing. Paiuk often fails to lend an individual sound to the recording, and aside from a few standout moments, Ficta fails to impress. It's interesting that four albums made by the same core musicians could be so disparate in quality, but, in actuality, these often aren't. Despite the differences in theme and personnel, the four CS releases are largely similar in sound. Multiples and 23 Exposures, however, have something that the other two don't, perhaps mainly because their sound is more varied, but perhaps only because they fit my mood on the days I listened to them. It's hard to separate these albums from one another, and perhaps that's the downfall of them all en masse: none of the musicians featured really prove themselves to be truly adaptable or diverse, and as content as I am listening to some of these discs' better moments, there's little that might create an urge to search out much more by anyone involved.
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