Amends
Matt Magerkurth
People Places Records PPR 023 (peopleplacesrecords.bandcamp.com)
Amends, the debut album of pieces for solo cello from American cellist and composer Matt Magerkurth, presents as a contemplation of isolation and experimentation. Recorded in Bixby, Oklahoma’s Closet Studios, the album is composed of pieces in skeletal form to be played semi-improvisatorially. The seven pieces are introspective self-examinations and seem to highlight the loneliness experienced by so many artists during the current pandemic.
Met with the occasional accompaniment of layered effects and occasional oceanic basslines by producer Scott Bell, Magerkurth traverses the cello in arpeggiated gestures, making use of the overtones by playing with a light bow technique, often to beautiful effect, expressive and colourful. The overall experience is one of longing and reflection.
