Review of Moss [12k2020]

Vital Weekly (NL)

An one-off group at work here: Moss is Olivia Block (field recordings, tapes, electronics), Molly Berg (clarinet and voice), Steve Roden (lap steel guitar, harmonica, voice) and Stephen Vitiello (guitar, field recordings). It was one of those things that happen spontaneously, at festivals around the world: friends who meet up for that occasion and play together. In this case the O1SJ Biennial in San Jose, where Berg and Vitiello were supposed to play as a duo, but with Block and Roden joining in. The concert was entirely improvised in a church, which perhaps accounts for the cerebral atmosphere. In this twenty four some minute concert the atmosphere is quite free. Lots of field recordings float freely into eachother, while the clarinet has the leading role here. That adds a rare improvised feel to a 12K recording, but it sits well with all the other music that is going on. Gentle introspective music at work here. Recorded at midnight and somehow you can tell that. Light has faded and the nocturnal cries (ghosts? birds? owls?) come alive, all along with a solitary playing of the clarinet. A small treasure.

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