Ferran Fages & Will Guthrie – Cinabri (Absurd/Antboy)

Melbourne experimental percussionist Will Guthrie has increasingly moved beyond the kit, redefining the concept of percussion with all manner of objects and junk, even a strange purpose built percussion machine by local instrument maker Rod Cooper. Guthrie’ motto seems to be if you can hit it, scratch it, rub it, or indeed make any external sound with it then its percussion. And it’s an incredibly freeing notion that has allowed Guthrie to truly extend his already extended technique. He uses contact mic’ to amplify these sounds and on this collaboration with Ferran Fages, it’s difficult to determine where he begins and Fage’ acoustic turntable begins. It’s quite a dense textural metallic suite, filled with odd bottom end thumps and thuds alongside roaring droning pitches and fluttering squeaks. Recorded in two sittings in Paris and Barcelona and assembled later by Guthrie at his base in Nantes France, it’s a dense at times difficult and quite performative take on music concrete traditions. At times it feels like the duo have stumbled onto an old rusted decayed engine and are attempting to fire it up as the machinery protests on being wakened from its slumber, whilst on others there is an almost obscene close mic’d feeling of skittery perversion