Dervish (DiN33) by Markus Reuter & Ian Boddy

Having first worked together on the enigmatic ambience of Distant Rituals (1999) and the melodic complexities of Pure (2003), "Dervish" is Markus Reuter & Ian Boddy's most challenging studio collaboration to date.

Recorded in England & Austria, the album contains a guest appearance by King Crimson's drumming and electronics wizard, Pat Mastelotto.

Inspired in part by the musical theories of 20th Century composer Olivier Messiaen, there's a terse angularity to the compositions whose unexpected textures feature the appearances of a string quartet and a recorder player. On a personal level, the music of Dervish and the creative methods used in its composition, have pushed both Boddy and Reuter into markedly different places, forcing each one to change their usual approaches. At a 2008 recording session in Austria, having sampled Reuter's Touch Guitar loops, Boddy then effectively "plays" the notes.

Their microscopic attention to the album's sound design ensures every track sparkles with intriguing detail that include the spiraling patterns of the Hang (a hybrid steel drum). Enthusiasts of vintage electronic instruments will also appreciate Boddy's recreation of the theremin-like Ondes Martenot via a modern keyboard equivalent and his modular synthesizer by way of an oblique tribute to Messiaen who famously included it's eerie tones in his Turangalia Symphony.

USA team of DiN Records. Ambient/Electronic music label started by Ian Boddy in 1999 with over 50 releases. Artists on the DiN roster are Chris Carter, Robert Rich, Tetsu Inoue, Erik Wollo, Markus Reuter, ARC, Node & Ian Boddy.

All CDs ship from the USA.