Antenna is a six-track, 22 minute EP from New York pianist David Virelles, to be released on ECM Records. The Cuban born musician has combined here his love for native rhythms with an adventurous flair for jazz, world music, progressive rock, and psychedelia. In fact, it's the latter two that seem to pop up the most over the course of these six pieces, as dreamy synths cascade over rhythmic drum patterns, the occasional splash of field recordings and Cuban street vocalisations & raps dropped in to add some depth, which you can hear on the upbeat "Rumbakuá". The layers of dreamy keyboards on "Binary", "Water, Bird Headed Mistress", "Threshold", and especially "El Titán de Bronce" are quite well done, the latter providing for some of the more jazz based passages on the EP, with Virelles' piano acrobatically flying about the mix over angular rhythms. Though you can hear horns, mallets, drums, and various other keyboards and assorted instruments, none try to out-do the other, instead Virelles has done a fine job of incorporating everything into one oozing wave of sound.
David Virelles' 2014 debut as a leader, Mbókň, seemed to be the launching pad for an influx of creativity from the pianist, and this charming little EP is another reminder of his skills and an enjoyable treat while we wait for his next full length of adventurous compositions.
Track Listing
1) Binary
2) Water, Bird Headed Mistress
3) Threshold
4) Rumbakuá
5) El Titán de Bronce
6) Text
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