You won’t get far in your explorations of modern day musical minimalism without encountering Anton Batagov. A celebrated Russian pianist and composer, his artistic prowess is never going to be in question and his album “Different Things” demonstrates what can be done without seeming to be doing anything much at all.
There are but two tracks on this album. The first- “6th Avenue & West-18th Street” – is apparently inspired by the difference between the composition of and the listening to music underpinned by an ambient soundscape inspired by avant-garde composer John Cage. Not a lot happens, and I would suppose that this was indeed the purpose, with the use of space and ambient recordings proving curiously hypnotic in effect. It is perhaps hard to explain why a twelve minute piece of music where there is little in the way of thematic complexity can distract so effectively yet I might suppose that it is the precise presentation of simplicity that pulls the listener out of their thoughts.
The second track, “Just One”, is most definitely minimalist in presentation and, through a curious mix of repetition and call and response vocals by Alexander Korenkov and Kate Venter, what you hear is less an answer to the question than an echo. Again, there are no hooks and ladders to indicate progress to a chorus which, of course, was never there in the first place and, again, very little actually happens in musical terms but that hypnotic effect is nonetheless present with every note both in just the right place and never too close to the next note.
I can’t say that I am familiar with the music, or more correctly non music of John Cage, but “Different Things” would seem to serve successfully as a tribute to the ghost that lives in the spaces between the notes. This album is a distinct diversion from my usual tastes and it serves as reminder to listen to everything for, even in the something that is close to nothing, there is pleasure to be found.
Available from Bandcamp and the usual digital places.