Earthworks
Sono Luminus, 2025
8/10
The composer and percussionist Nathan Davis is aligned with Syliva Milo’s spoken word for these 7 atypical pieces of eco-focused ideas and encouragement for everyone to consider the world around them.
“Exposition” opens with much attention on atmosphere, where Milo’s voice guides the playful gestures of Davis’ samples and percussive sounds, and “Circulation” follows with Josh Modney’s distinct violin and Joshua Rubin’s well timed clarinet amid the cinematic qualities.
Moving into the middle, “Weathering” showecases Levy Lorenzo’s sci-fi influenced percussion and Katinka Kleiin’s manipulated cello prowess, while “Extraction” radiates an ominous quality of mechanical sounds.
“Regeneration” exits the listen and presents the wind, strings and percussion in unconventional ways that bridge the organic and synthetic into an artistic and field recording-esque finish.
An iconoclastic vision that examines the link between humans and natural and built environment, each selection makes the listener think critically about world around them and appreciate the thoughtful and creative song craft.
Travels well with: JACK Quartet- John Zorn: The Complete String Quartets; Akropolis Reed Quintet/Pascal Le Boeuf/Christian Euman- Are We Dreaming The Same Dream?