Formerly one half of the German trance duo Cluster, Hans Joachim Roedelius continues to make music of measured beauty, mainly in partnership with guitarist Fabio Capanni and reedsman Nicola Alesini. Recorded mostly live on Lanzarote, Aquarello features a series of trios and solos, ranging from the aptly titled "Tranquilidad", to the more deeply textured "Mirador", where yearning sax and soaring e-bow guitar lines float over steady drones punctuated with gentle, rattling percussion. The mood is uncluttered, with an emotional palette that favours the wistful and contemplative. Alesini's saxes are employed in a similar manner to the duduk playing of Roedelius' label-mate Djivan Gasparyan, a sound more redolent of desolate steppes than the craggy, twisted landscape of Lanzarote, perhaps, though none the worse for that.
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