Norwegian composer and vocalist Eivind Buene blurs the lines between biography and performance on his latest release, Personal Best. Featuring Trio Accanto and SWR Experimentalstudio, the album transforms recorded conversations with saxophonist Marcus Weiss, pianist Nicolas Hodges, and percussionist Christian Dierstein into intricate sound collages. The result is a deeply personal success, described as “a reflection on artistic legacy, the passage of time, and the delicate balance between tradition and experimentation.”
Making a strong statement as the album’s opener, “Personal Best: No. 1, Christian’s collage” navigates a spaciously intriguing soundscape — with soft chiming and resonant swells leading into a striking second half, where touches of free-flowing piano clang with feverish intent, and then into glimpses of lush serenity. The track stands out for its eerie sense of momentum, as does “Personal Best: No. 4, The Body is Not a Mistake,” with its self-affirming spoken-word mantras on the body — “where we are, and where we start” — alongside prancing piano vibrancy.
Likewise, “Personal Best: No. 3, Marcus’ collage” moves within a haunting saxophone-led quiver. Dierstein’s role as a percussionist and Weiss’ saxophonist pedigree both play prominent roles in their own personal collages, evolving with similarly heartfelt emotion within entirely different tonal realms. And of course, it’s no surprise that the enthralling “Nic’s collage” features pianist Nicolas Hodges and his stirring, jumpy piano tones. The three collages, reflective of the trio’s individual power, are amongst the album’s many standouts.
Elsewhere, “Serious Songs: No. 2, Under the Sun” showcases the group’s ability to craft vocal-laden enthrallment as well. Moody piano and emotive vocals move with theatrical allure, reminiscent fondly of Rufus Wainwright. The “Serious Song” entries all consume with their vocal and piano illumination. Personal Best is a grippingly inventive and artful standout of an album from Eivind Buene.
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“Personal Best: No. 4, The Body is Not a Mistake” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
