Search - Larsen & Friends :: Abeceda (W/Dvd)

"While Larsen themselves sit impassively as their compositions unfurl it's clear that their onstage collaborators are strongly affected by the richly emotional music emerging, with their own contributions seeming to articulate its latent drama and passion. A fascinating and frequently beautiful event." -- THE WIRE Selling Points * Features David Tibet of Current 93 as well as Jòhann Jòhannsson, who has released acclaimed recordings on Touch and 4AD. * Also features Baby Dee (Current 93) and Julia Kent (Antony & The Johnsons). * Promotional mailing by Important Records. * Ads will run in The Wire. This CD+DVD set captures an extremely special evening for Larsen--one that places them in a perfect visual and musical perspective, revealing more than a little about this enigmatic quartet from Torino, Italy. For one night only, Larsen assembled their closest musical friends to play to a sold-out crowd at the Teatro Colosseo in Torino. The purpose of the performance was to pay tribute to the work of Czech avant-garde designer, typographer, founder of Devestil, and cultural radical Karel Teige and his Abeceda, a 1926 collaboration with poet Vitoslav Nezva that minimalized text down to its basic components, establishing a poetic dialogue between text and images. Larsen brings minimalist beauty and melody with a live performance incorporating music, dance, and projections. Joining the group are friends David Tibet (Current 93), Baby Dee (Current 93), and Jòhann Jòhannsson (Touch/4AD). The music swells in gentle pulses of softly stated melody, and emotion clings to each note while glistening shimmers of electronics dance quietly in the mix. The DVD reminds us of what a rich visual experience Abeceda was, and still is. As The Wire so perfectly put it, David Tibet's performance "provides a vital link between the music and the visuals." Thanks to Larsen's definitive discipline and kindred visual & musical collaborators, Abeceda is an event of great subtlety and complexity. It is truly a gift that this performance was so perfectly documented in both an audio and visual format. Where the work of Karel Teige was a tremendous gift for the eyes, Larsen & Friend's Abeceda is a gift for both the eyes and the ears.