released September 5, 2022


Work for the cover by Paul Collins
Graphic Design by Atelier ter Bekke & Behage

Produced by Akousis Records and Cyprien Busolini

Akousis Records 004, 2022


>>> Selected reviews <<<

Cyprien Busolini and Bertrand Gauguet explore overtones and harmonics in slow motion, on respective instruments viola and alto saxophone. “Intense listening” is tonight’s watchword, not just for them but for us; after some 20 minutes you’ll find you haven’t drawn a breath and you’re encased inside a stainless steel cannister. You’d be surprised at the dynamics, movements, and tensions these two can discover in what might appear a limited situation. (Ed Pinsent The Sound Projector, août 2023)

Miroir nous entraîne au plus près du son, dans l’intimité de vibrations sensibles s’étirant, au long de ces deux pièces d’égale durée, en une forme de drone dont la délicatesse et la richesse des textures renient la monotonie. (…) Entre la fragilité de l’incertitude et l’évidence du danger, le duo respecte suffisamment son auditoire pour l’inviter à une écoute radicale, délicieusement inconfortable. (Joël Pagier, Revue et corrigée n°135, mars 2023)

What is unique is that among the concentrated and layered tones of spiccato string slices and buzzing reed flattement is a near melodic inflection. It evolves alongside the slowly hardening swells that take on almost organ-like tremolos. Additions are still pointillist and pauses still interrupt the evolution, but between them they set up a hard-soft, dark-light, loud-quiet cooperation animated with forceful bowing, reed burbles and an angled tone that introduce “Vacillation” the second track. (Ken Waxman, www.jazzword.com)

Les deux musiciens entraînent les auditeurs dans les arcanes du son, au seuil de l’inaudible, de l’imperceptible, pour une célébration frémissante de beauté fragile. (Inactuelles.over-blog.com)

Long trails of hazy, evanescent sound spring from their encounter, slowly thickening from the pianissimi and then dissolving again into a luminescent dust. (Massimiliano Busti, Blow up)

“Miroir” flows on slow lines and the listener, ideally, runs through them just as calmly, watching the delicate movements of viola and sax draw atmospheres and scenarios that change while giving the impression of not doing so, like looking at the countryside from a window on an old train. (Piergiuseppe Lippolis, MusicMap)

An axial wobble aligning for magnetic textures. (Keith Prosk, Harmonic Series)

Defo one for undisturbed and focused nocturnal consumption, this. (Baze Djunkiii, Nitestylez)

The music has a strong meditative character and is slow in development. Yet, it never sounds like traditional minimalist drone music, as there seems to be more happening here, and the two bring out a fine amount of variation. (Frans de Waard, Vital Weekly 1351)
Selected reviews

Miroir nous entraîne au plus près du son, dans l’intimité de vibrations sensibles s’étirant, au long de ces deux pièces d’égale durée, en une forme de drone dont la délicatesse et la richesse des textures renient la monotonie. (…) Entre la fragilité de l’incertitude et l’évidence du danger, le duo respecte suffisamment son auditoire pour l’inviter à une écoute radicale, délicieusement inconfortable. (Joël Pagier, Revue et corrigée n°135, mars 2023)

What is unique is that among the concentrated and layered tones of spiccato string slices and buzzing reed flattement is a near melodic inflection. It evolves alongside the slowly hardening swells that take on almost organ-like tremolos. Additions are still pointillist and pauses still interrupt the evolution, but between them they set up a hard-soft, dark-light, loud-quiet cooperation animated with forceful bowing, reed burbles and an angled tone that introduce “Vacillation” the second track. (Ken Waxman, www.jazzword.com)

Les deux musiciens entraînent les auditeurs dans les arcanes du son, au seuil de l’inaudible, de l’imperceptible, pour une célébration frémissante de beauté fragile. (Inactuelles.over-blog.com)

Long trails of hazy, evanescent sound spring from their encounter, slowly thickening from the pianissimi and then dissolving again into a luminescent dust. (Massimiliano Busti, Blow up)

“Miroir” flows on slow lines and the listener, ideally, runs through them just as calmly, watching the delicate movements of viola and sax draw atmospheres and scenarios that change while giving the impression of not doing so, like looking at the countryside from a window on an old train. (Piergiuseppe Lippolis, MusicMap)

An axial wobble aligning for magnetic textures. (Keith Prosk, Harmonic Series)

Defo one for undisturbed and focused nocturnal consumption, this. (Baze Djunkiii, Nitestylez)

The music has a strong meditative character and is slow in development. Yet, it never sounds like traditional minimalist drone music, as there seems to be more happening here, and the two bring out a fine amount of variation. (Frans de Waard, Vital Weekly 1351)