Out now !

BOWLINE - st

Bowline are :

Francisco Dillon - cello
David Maranha - hammond organ, violin, vox amplifier (with Francesco cello signal), glass harmonica, tremolo and distortion pedals

"Behind Bowline we find the more and more present musician David Maranha, who was once best known as Osso Exotico, and these days also works as a solo musician and one Francesco Dillon. He is from Italy and studied the cello. These days he is a member of Alter-Ego (see Vital Weekly 602 for their work with Gavin Bryars) as well as playing with people like Matmos, Pan Sonic and Scanner. A man of many talents. Here too Dillon plays cello, whereas Maranha gets credit for 'hammond organ, violin, vox amplifier (with Francesco cello signal), glass harmonica, tremolo and distortion pedals'. Of the four tracks , the first is the most silent one, taking several minutes to get started. Like with so many other projects of David Maranha, in which ever form it takes, this is a work of minimalism. Of sheer, utter minimalism and what beauty, once again. The careful strumming of various string instruments, the drones added, sparsely of course, from the other instruments. Three short tracks which eventually culminate in the fourth track, which takes up about two-third of the CD and in which the three previous excursions return but glorified. Everything comes together here. If you love Osso Exotico or any of the works Maranha did after that, this is will be a most welcome addition. Also fans of traditional minimal music, especially Lamonte Young will find this a great release, I'm sure of that." (Frans de Waard - Vital Weekly 605)

Bowline traces the first documentation of Maranha's duo with Francesco Dillon, cellist for Italian New Music ensemble Alter Ego. Dillon's cello alternately glides and rasps, swooping from the the edges of audibility to full tonal range, providing a rich foundation for Maranha's violin, Hammond organ, glass harmonica and amp/pedal manipulation. He often parallels the warp and weft of Dillon's playing with yet more tremolo action, so everything trembles in tandem. It's an audio aquivalent of a slow motion, multiscreen flicker film, with each strand developing in parallel, cleaving in and out of direct reference. (Jon Dale - The Wire, april 08)

Bowline is the project of David Maranha joined by Francesco Dillon,italian cellist member of the group Alter Ego. The first thing that comes to mind is : if you love harsh and painful minimalism, made up of long eternal-like phrases, which are typical of the portuguese musician, run to buy this Bowline release because the two musicians, together ,give us 30 minutes of music that you won’t forget.
With Dillon on the cello, and Maranha on hammond, violin, glassharmonica and effects, more than just creating a dialogue, they mix, melt and create an austere sound, almost religious, wich tastes like late autumn, like rocks and stones, like dust fallen from an ancient era.
Imprisoned in this digital grooves are ecstatic notes, constantly pelting down (hammering) in long, frightening spirals, only now and then illuminated by flashes of gentle light, and in the last track, 22 minutes wich in reality represent the whole album, we reach the highest pinnacles of absolute beauty.
We hope the project will continue, because Bowline, despite its brevity and its many high moments, leaves still the desire for more. (Valerio Mattioli - Blow-up, march 08)

Based on four tracks, it's a work of absolute uniformity and simplicity (these elements make it beautiful) that would not disfigure if compared with other illustrious pieces of minimalistic tradition.
The first three tracks are linked in a continuous progression, dominated by a melodic flow, that generates a crepuscular atmosphere. The fourth is almost similar, but more structured, with a variety of resonant textures and incidental drones, hypnotic fluctuations, cello vibrations.
Undoubtedly a successful interaction between these two artists. (Spiritual Archives blog)

It does sound like many stringed & bowed instruments going at it, impacting each other, and then slightly manipulated. Pleasing and tension filled at the same time. Lower stringed instruments are the clearest, the higher pitched ones are almost tone generators. There is shorter 'staticy' bits to add texture on top of the held notes, all in all well done, and tough to say if it is relaxing or gets me edgy. A subtle power moves through the music. (Don Poe - Ear Rational)

Bowline est la rencontre de David Maranha et Francesco Dillon, pour cordes mixées ainsi que différents interventions noyées dans la couleur d'ensemble d'un glass harmonica, pédale de tremolo, orgue hammond. L'idée étant d'accorder différents timbres selon des rapports de hauteur plutôt consonants et d'animer cette texture de glissandi, de trilles, de bisbigliandos et doigtés instrumentaux susceptibles de donner vie à un bourdon.
Si Bowline évoque en premier, c'est vrai, le minimalisme de LaMonte Young et de son « dream syndicate », son aspect mélodique récurrent, son lyrisme légèrement nostalgique l'en éloignent. Les pièces ont bien plus traversées d'échelles modales acquises que de la « scie à os » du « syndicate » et de son laminoir à vriller les nerfs.
Morton Feldman conviendrait-il mieux pour approcher le travail de Maranha et Dillon ? Peut-être mais l'absence d'attaques, les nuances réduites au seul 'piano', la durée, la lenteur, corollaires du rejet forcené de tout pathos de ce dernier, en limite là aussi la pertinence. Non, Bowline serait plutôt un rejeton pop de tout ce background savant d'un coté et populaire de l'autre celui d'une prégnante beauté qui procure un sentiment de détente, de sérénité immédiate. Un possible versant, mélancolique si l'on veut, métissé de microtonalité du minimalisme plus euphorique de Reich et Glass sans répétition.
En tout état de cause un beau disque, un point de passage heureux entre l'écriture et le studio, le radical et sa déclinaison tout public.
La rencontre sur une table de dissection de God Speed You Black Emporor avec cordes et du « Early minimalism » de Tony Conrad ! (Boris Wlassoff – Revue & Corrigée 75)

(mp3 below)