In times of turbulence, we need music that keeps us centred and able to pause. That’s exactly what ‘Sympathetic Resonance’ the enthralling debut from London based duo Momen achieves. A partnership between saxophonist Nat Philipps and pianist/ composer Iván Muela it’s an album of naturally blended influences which merges jazzist, classical and electronic undercurrents with purpose and conviction. Muela may bring the compositional focus which underpins his impressive electro-acoustic solo work and Philipps an improv, rock aligned dynamic (he’s worked with Crack Cloud and Mabe Fratti) but this is no place for virtuosic brinkmanship. Momen’s music thrives on the two musicians’ mutual open-minded approach.
It all starts with Aloneness is a State in Which All Influence Has Completely Ceased, all tingling keyboard showers which ebb and flow as Philipps’s soft-spoken sax wanders dreamily. The track is a calm introduction, a gathering of thoughts maybe, as from here the album grows in ambition and scale. The title track follows with a surprise foundation, Muela’s tense, sketchy guitar which shifts restlessly between brushed chords and brisk, almost fado flourishes. It’s an inventive foil for some fluttering, breathy sax song, where the patter and puff of the instrument adds to the warmth of the whole piece.
Momen explore contrasts actively on the album to instil tension. The lengthy Not Bright Above, Not Dark Below takes a post rock perspective as it shifts between ascent and descent, flight and fall. From Philipp’s skittering, animalistic runs to a soothing, piano sax interlude, Muela then builds an urgent staccato pulse on keys and guitar. There’s a Necks-like intensity to this surge and in the brilliantly extended way the piece subsides.
The sustained impact of ‘Sympathetic Resonance’ comes from the consistent approach the duo took to generate these eight pieces. Evolving from extended improvised sessions between Muela and Philipps, the eventual tunes were then sculpted by editing, electronics and ingenuity. It’s the meticulous detailing and care that has been devoted to each track which really makes this album stand out. Layering doesn’t go anywhere near describing the intricacy of Momen’s debut.
Take the widescreen panorama of By the Grace of the Earth, where the hint of beats and burbling synths shimmer around the tune’s central melodic sweep. The fleeting moments when the players’ delicate piano/ sax duet glides into the listening space adds to the sense of wonder. The tingling serenity of Old Thoughts is similarly spacious if more ghostly. Muela’s piano echoes and frays while Philipp’s sax mourns gracefully amongst the creaks and clangs of emptiness. At these times the fragility of late stage Talk Talk and the vastness of LaBradford’s soundscapes seem close by.
Momen’s music deceptively demands your attention, you don’t drift when listening you concentrate and inevitably time flies. Beyond the Satie-esque cascade of birdsong and piano on Static Patterns and past the anthemic day break of Everything As It Arises, the album soon arrives at Flights. As a closing track, it unwinds epically. Chiming vibes and droning signals grow ominously while Philipp’s keening sax signals apprehension. The clatter of his keys and hurried breath are essential to the atmosphere here as the tune takes a filmic descent. Then as Muela’s graceful motifs usher calm, the piece reaches a destination, exhausted but resolved, the sound of a homecoming.
Neither obscure or obvious, Momen’s ‘Sympathetic Resonance’ creates imagery that can bring the listener closer to their own imagination. It’s an assured, intriguing debut which carves its own space within the wide horizons of ambient music and signals that this duo will extend their residency for some considerable time to come.
Get your copy of ‘Sympathetic Resonance‘ by Momen from your local record store or direct from Unheard of Hope HERE
