Here's the first from a huge cache of releases that have been sitting at Chain D.L.K. central waiting for reviews shipped recently to me and I couldn't have picked a harder one to review if I tried (which I didn't; it was kind of random, luck of the draw). So here we have the debut album of Canadian percussionist Noam Bierstone, and of course it's modern avant-garde, or new classical, whichever tag you prefer. 'mountains move like clouds' consists of three lengthy tracks - "Messages from the Lighthouse" composed by Hanna Hartman [15:20]; "Mani. Δκη" composed by Pierluigi Billone [32:25]; and the titular track composed by Zeynep Toraman [12:29]. The elaborate one-sheet describes these pieces in detail, but just quoting it defeats the purpose of a review. One important thing it does say at the outset, is that percussionists, unlike other instrumentalists, do not just play one instrument, but many, even to the point of playing things that aren't traditional percussion instruments. (A weak case could be made for keyboardists who may play a variety of sounds, but a keyboard is still a keyboard.) On these compositions Bierstone plays a wide variety of percussion instruments, and also plenty of non-standard items as well.

It has always fascinated me that avant-garde/experimental compositions can be notated, and if you've seen any written notation (from Cage to Crumb, to Zappa, etc.) you know how complex it can get. Fortunately for us listeners, we don't have to follow along with the script, just our ears. The first thing you're going to hear on "Messages from the Lighthouse" sounds like a lightly rolling bottle, then something akin to electronic feedback, which is not really feedback at all. Various sounds become machine-like in their rapid repetition, almost like an old motor. Fluttering like a cage of pigeons without the cooing. There is a lot of breathing space in this piece. A variety of light tapping sounds interspersed with the fluttering and faux-feedback. Toms threaten thunder in the background. A lot more fluttering and the return of the rolling bottle. It gets kind of chaotic toward the end with so much going on (was this overdubbed?) but it seems fitting. And of course, the lone rolling bottle ushers us out.

Billone's "Mani. Δκη" sounds a bit more like what you might expect from an avant garde percussion piece, with intermittent metallic scrapes and ringing hits, bangs, clangs, etc. It sounds more physical than the previous composition but two-thirds of the way though I found myself becoming a bit bored and distracted. Lots of space but still a lot going on. Finally, on "mountains move like clouds" there is a vibratory ambience in play that takes the music somewhat out of the strictly percussive arena and makes it a soundscape all its own with sustained ringing frequencies that permeate this piece. If you've ever heard Tibetan singing bowls, you may have some idea what to expect. Noam introduces other sounds into the mix which make it rather unique. A great way to go out. Once acclimated to it, I have to say I did enjoy 'mountains move like clouds' and Beth Frey's watercolor artwork on the CD case is pretty cool too.