Article
Brady / Driscoll / Gregorius

Albums
3/4 Peace
36
Atrium Carceri
Marvin Ayres
Peter Baumann
Beledo
Tim Brady
Christoph Bruhn
Calder
Csillagköd
Dal Niente / Deerhoof
Rebekah Driscoll
Eighth Blackbird
frostlake
Friedrich Goldmann
John Gregorius
Hammock
Chihei Hatakeyama
Masayuki Imanishi
ICE
Ionophore
braeyden jae
KAI
Kevin Kastning
Martin Kay
Kireyev & Javors
Millimetrik
Jon Mueller
Christine Ott
Piano Interrupted
Noah Preminger
Gavin Prior
Rapoon
Lasse-Marc Riek
Roach & Logan
Bruno Sanfilippo
Cyril Secq / Orla Wren
Sgt. Fuzzy
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
Stick Men+ David Cross
Stratosphere
Syncopix
Tetherdown
Charlie Ulyatt
Wieman

Compilation
Facticity

EPs / Cassettes / Mini-Albums / Singles
Glacis
Dibson T. Hoffweiler
Akira Kosemura
Daniel Lippel
Christine Tavolacci

Christine Ott: Only Silence Remains
Gizeh Records

That French composer Christine Ott plays the Ondes Martenot, the early electronic musical instrument invented by Maurice Martenot in 1928 and made famous by its inclusion in Messiaen's Turangalila Symphony, is the natural hook for her first full-length album since 2009 and Gizeh Records debut. But Only Silence Remains is far more than a one-dimensional showcase for the instrument's alien sonorities; in fact, Ott's acoustic piano playing is more prominently featured on the eight-setting set, which impresses as much for the quality of its compositions as its distinctive soundworld.

Having worked with artists such as Yann Tiersen, Radiohead, Tindersticks, and Oiseaux-Tempête, Ott brings no small amount of experience to this solo outing, and her gifts as a multi-instrumentalist are effectively documented; not only does she play piano and Ondes Martenot, she's also credited with harmonic tubes, harmonium, percussion, vocals, Jupiter8, timpani, and tubular bells. It's not entirely a solo affair, however, as Ott is joined by a guest or two on several tracks. Stylistically, the material falls into the category of modern classical with an experimental, even avant-garde edge, and Only Silence Remains manages to be eclectic without sounding contrived.

The combination of the Ondes Martenot's warble with Ott's elegant piano and Justine Charlet's harpsichord at the album's start immediately promises that Only Silence Remains will be something special; the pairing of the electronic instrument with the piano on “Sexy Moon” is perhaps even more striking during those moments when they're the only sounds featured. The material's classical dimension moves vividly to the fore when Anil Eraslan's cello and Olivier Maurel's vibraphone augment Ott's piano during the live performance of “Szczecin,” the piece's chiming melodies at times suggesting a Tiersen influence. Never is her classical piano playing more affecting than during “No Memories,” a lovely solo spotlight she executes with great sensitivity to pacing and dynamics. Still, not everything is so controlled, as shown by the frenzy generated by Eraslan's cello and the wildness Ott coaxes from the Ondes Martenot on “Tempête.”

May 2016