Birds Of Paradise
Neuma, 2025
9/10
An electronic score by the highly creative Juraj Kojš and the dancers of Pioneer Winter Collective, the 8 tracks of experimental and atypical sounds touch on spoken word, dance music and social justice.
The beat driven “Barbara” opens with strategic humming and rich percussive ideas, and “Josue” follows with warm piano and powerful wordplay from the spoken word amid a spacey backdrop.
“Gabriela” and “Katrina” occupy the middle tracks. The former is rich and dreamy with very precise instrumentation that’s aligned with wordless singing, while the latter enters sci-fi territory via the mysterious ambience and jarring bouts.
Residing near the end, “Shamar” seems like the soundtrack to another dimension with its highly unusual electronic exploration, and “Lotte” exits with a breathy demeanor and radiant instrumentation that builds into an emotive and buzzing finish.
A very inventive affair that embraces singing, humming, speaking, breathing, stomping, and heart-beating, Kojš’ electronic prowess is nothing short of gripping, either.