Label: Urpa i musell – UiM 007
Format: Vinyl, LP, 45 RPM
Country: Spain
Released: 20 Jan 2023
Genre: Jazz, Rock
Style: Free Improvisation, Experimental
Smouldering electric guitar improv out of the Basque Country from duo Joseba Agirrezabalaga and Mikel Vega.
Back in 2020 Barcelona’s Urpa I Musell label had us stunned with Ubaldo’s incredible Casa LP, here they return focusing on the extremely fertile experimental scene happening right now in the Basque Country. Mikel (from Bilbao) and Joseba (from Azpeitia) represent two study pillars of the scene, both being involved in the disused warehouse and ex-slaughterhouse that provides a base for much of the scene’s creativity. They’re two close friends who understand each other’s music, yet have never played together, which creates the unique tension and interplay within these scorched recordings. Both intimate and expansive, we can hear the low-electrical hum of guitar amps whilst the artists carved out reverb-drenched textures and shimmering tones. There are peaks and troughs of intensity, both artists egging each other on but the sense of bluesy restraint and unpredictability keeps us locked in throughout. In fact, it instantly had us reminded of those legendary guitar bouts in the mid 90’s between Keiji Haino and Loren Connors, together with the string of releases on the excellent Hegoa label (Atanas Akerstra, Carcáscara) which have become two of our most reliable go to’s of recent time. Always good to learn more about a scene that’s truly alive and happening… *checks flights to Bilbo*. Yeah, wow!!! (Mint / New - hand-drawn chalk cover, with OBI)
Tracklist
A1 Birjaiotza
A2 Low Soil
A3 Ulu
B1 Lepok
B2 Mamu kitarjolea
