Strange contrasts abound on this recording by Portugese pianist and composer Tiago Sousa, founder of the now-defunct Merzbau label, and drummer Joao Correira. Mastered by digital perfectionist Taylor Deupree, ‘Insonia’ nonetheless retains a slapdash bedroom aesthetic, and the music itself veers from jangly post-rock through wispy neo-classical and even flamenco, without raising too many eyebrows. Correira favours a rattly pots and pans approach; Sousa also plays guitar and organ, and they’re joined on a few tracks by Ricardo Ribeiro on clarinet.
This range of styles is apparent on opening ‘Movimento’, as Sousa moves from patient block chords on piano then onto Spanish guitar flurries, before the drums start kicking us into Chicago territory. ‘Pendulo’ explores pretty melodic phrases reminiscent of Sakamoto’s vision of Satie, while ‘Foula Cadouca’ interrupts the introductory hymn-like dirge with pacy Middle Eastern clarinet runs. The rich organ throb which underlies final ‘Surrealismo Impressionista’ is particularly efffective, with the wind trio lazily improvising over the top like an amateur version of The Necks. Here, Sousa and Correira’s restless approach shows promise, but it generally proves frustrating, it being difficult to catch their fleeting, or fleet-footed, ideas.
Joshua Meggitt
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