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John Kameel Farah & Nick Fraser: Farahser

By Glenn Astarita
June 28, 2024
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On their entrancing debut duo outing Farahser— Toronto/Berlin-based keyboardist and composer

John Kameel Farah

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">John Kameel Farah and eminent Toronto area drummer

" data-original-title="" title="">Nick Fraser—engage in a thrillingly unpredictable and genre-defying musical conversation. Drawing upon their respective backgrounds in classical, jazz, and experimental music, Farah and Fraser craft a series of spontaneous compositions which distort the lines between structure and improvisation due to acoustic and electronic textures, cerebral complexity and visceral emotion.

The duo has constructed a work of striking originality and improvisational savvy. By fearlessly drawing upon a vast array of musical influences and techniques, they have forged a singular, genre-transcending sound which is likely to captivate adventurous listeners. This is music which challenges, surprises and inspires, marking Farah and Fraser as inventive and compelling voices in contemporary improvised music.

On "Twigs" the duo invite listeners to explore its nuanced layers with a linear theme tailor-made for expansion amid ethereal jazz-framed overtones, propelled and shaded by Fraser's rimshots, and hearty use of cymbals. On "Insect Mountain," they conjure images of bustling landscapes. Farah's piano and synthesizer musings add intrigue and depth, while Fraser's drumming maintains a pliant heartbeat for the cyclical underpinnings.

A haunting elegy, "Dirge" envelops listeners in tonal expressiveness. Farah's unhurried melodies and bursting synth lines resonate deeply, while Fraser's drums provide a stoic backdrop, leading to a dynamic polyrhythmic outbreak. It is a poignant exploration of emotion as the duo ends the piece on a whisper.

Concluding the album, "Elevator," ascends and descends through sonic panoramas. The musicians intertwine, perhaps leaving listeners suspended in anticipation via Farah's memorable minimalist thematic voicings and subtle EFX backdrops.

As Farahser progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult to discern where composition ends and improvisation begins, a testament to the near-telepathic interplay between Farah and Fraser. This is music which challenges, surprises and stimulates, marking Farah and Fraser as two of the most inventive and compelling voices in contemporary improvised music.

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Track Listing

Flatland; Twigs; Insect Mountain; Waltz; Dirge; Baby Birds; The Churn; Elevator.

Personnel

John Kameel Farah

piano

Nick Fraser

drums

Additional Instrumentation

John Kameel Farah: piano, synthesizer, electronics.

Album information

Title: Farahser | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Elastic Records

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