Circumferens by Ràdium Trio

Liner notes by Àlex Reviriego

I like bands.

Even in a mostly improvised context, I really like bands. Projects. Long time relationships. Maybe it has to do with growing up on tons of extreme metal bands, with its tendency to obscurity and anonymity. I don’t know. But I like bands.

They mean commitment. Attachment to an idea.

I like commitment. Playing music is almost the only thing I have done seriously since my early teens. Stubbornly. Almost stupidly stubborn. I still play the very same first “good” double bass I bought with money from my summer gigs. I play it every day. Never using electronic effects, almost always acoustic. I still take pencil notes on the very same Bach books I bought as a teenager. Torn to pieces holding together with tape. Stupid suicidal commitment to a box of old wood. Faith.

Bands. Commitment. Ideas. A shared destination. Going together from one point to another.

Borrowing La Monte Young words, drawing a straight line and following it.

A circle.

I like Ferran Fages. He is a sonic alchemist of the highest order and a genius improviser. I played with him uncountable times, be it informal sessions at his place, hundreds of gigs around Barcelona, touring with Phicus, recording as duo, trio, quartet...he even engineered two of my solo records, cooked quiche for me, helped to fix my turntable head shell (that was his previously), drove together hundreds of kms. Shared stories. Commitment. He is one of the very few musicians I have total blind faith in.

An influence feedback loop. A circle of ideas.

And, of course, I like Agustí Fernández. In my early twenties he was one of my favourite piano players. I still remember hunting his CDs at the Barcelona public libraries and seeing him dozens of times around the city. Even if he’s mostly recognized for his virtuosic style and his inside piano explorations, I’ve always considered Agustí as a more subtle player, even lyrical. If you listen carefully there’s always a little trace of tenderness buried in the maelstrom: a subtle white keys chord, a descending minor pattern, a surprising “quasi baroque” cadence.

Remembrance.

Things past. The first time I listened to Aurora and it automatically became my favourite Agustí Fernández record. Projecting the past in the present. Those moments never fail to put a smile on my face.

Past chasing future. A stretched circle. An ellipse.

I like this record. I think the music talks for itself, so I’m not going to describe it. But I like it. A circular trip. Like falling asleep totally drunk on a bus seat. Close your eyes. Time passes. Open your eyes and realise you are on the very same station, but on your way back. Terrible hangover.
Future chasing the past. A circle.

I hope you like this music.

Independent label of free improvised music promoted by Agustí Fernández

agustifernandez.com