Pareidolia is defined as the tendency to interpret a vague stimulus as something known to the observer, such as seeing shapes in clouds, seeing abstract patterns or hearing hidden messages in music. Pareidolia was formed as a trio in 2014, featuring Portuguese viola player João Camões with French reeds player Gabriel Lemaire and Germany-based pianist Yves Arques – both have worked together before as a duo, and sometimes becomes a quartet with the addition of Portugal-based Uruguayan double bass player Alvaro Rosso.

The debut album of Pareidolia was recorded during an artistic residence held in Salão Brazil, Coimbra, Portugal, the hometown of Camões, in early summer of 2016. Pareidolia lives its chamber music as a poetic and imaginative voyage that flows within elusive sounds, random events and vague images.

The first extended piece «Himmelskino» is a mysterious, sparse through distant, quiet but lyrical landscapes. Every gesture, breath or touch of the respective instruments, carefully employed with extended bowing or breathing techniques or by manipulating the piano strings, counts. The second extended piece «Herzkino» with Rosso, is more dynamic and sometimes even urgent, but the guiding idea remains the same. Developing fragile, almost transparent but highly colorful sonic events by deep listening and restraint. The quiet, intense bowing of Camões and Rosso is challenged by fractured and brief rhythmic patterns suggested by Arques and Lemaire and all gravitate into an emotional melodic interplay, led by Arques and emphasized beautifully by Rosso.
Do as Pareidolia asks: close your eyes and observe the landscape. Open them and you will see the travellers.

Eyal Hareuveni

João Camões (viola), Gabriel Lemaire (as, bs, acl), Yves Arques (p), Alvaro Rosso (b)