Sound of Village

Album Review

Sound of Village consists of 15 duo improvisations by the Finnish pianist Mika Pohjola and the multi-percussionist Yusuke Yamamoto. In addition to acoustic piano, Pohjola occasionally plays harpsichord and Fender Rhodes; Yamamoto is heard on drums as well as berimbau, talking drum, clay flute, and voice. The intuitive communication between the two is extraordinary, whether on dense and brooding pieces like "Ultimatum"; pastoral sketches like "Dandelion," "Season's Greetings," and "Designs and Shapes"; or hip, rhythmically driving episodes like "Tom's Favorite Treats." The shimmering sound of the Rhodes on "The Center of the Universe" and "Berceuse 1823" at times seems to reference both minimalism and electronica. "Desert Urbanism" and "Präludium und Variationen" feature harpsichord with berimbau and clay flute, respectively, resulting in a bold yet entirely uncontrived meeting of East and West. Sadly, the events of September 11, 2001, would transform the meaning of the title track in a way that these two skilled and imaginative musicians could never have foreseen. Pohjola, in his liner notes, tells listeners that he lives near a fire station and three hospitals. He and Yamamoto decided to record the traffic sounds and incorporate them on this particular track. Oddly, one of the liner photos is a black-and-white view of Manhattan, looking toward the south, with the World Trade Center towers lit by a late afternoon sun. ~ David R. Adler, Rovi