In February 2017 Danish experimental percussionist Christian Windfeld visited Tasmanian guitarist Julius Schwing who resides in Bruny Island, a pristine and wild wilderness off the south east coast of Tasmania. Windfeld and Schwing planned to spend time doing workshops and performing together, but immediately developed a strong rapport and decided to record their final, free-improvised concert in Hobart, unedited, straight to a portable recorder.

The two extended improvisations reflect the calmness and joy that comes from spending time in the elements, listening to nature and witnessing its unrelenting power. Windfeld and Schwing sound as commenting on a larger sonic landscape, adjusting their intimate musical conversation to the nuanced, subtle commotion of the island, unconsciously blending with the nature sounds. Patiently, Windfeld and Schwing color and shape their free-form, expressive conversation with fleeting rhythmic patterns, weird-sounding scratches of skins and cymbals or strums of strings and light, resonating sounds.

The second improvisation is more structured but maintains the total ease that characterized the first one. It develops from quiet, gentle and resonating touches and bowing of cymbals and strings. Slowly, this meditative atmosphere morphs into a dramatic one, still, a leisured one, but with suggestive, cinematic veins and with little attempt to build a disturbing tension. Windfeld and Schwing sound now as sonic travellers, navigating through the rich and colorful nature life of Bruny Island, inviting the casual listener to tap into its subtle, tempting pulse.

Recorded live in Hobart at Schmorgasbaag on 9th of February 2017. Recorded straight to Zoom portable recorder.

Eyal Hareuveni

Christian Windfeld (snare dr, obj), Julius Schwing (g)