Dual | Duel is the third collaboration of Swiss cellist Sara Oswald, known for her work with The Young Gods, Sophie Hunger and Julian Sartorius, and producer, visual artist and electronics musician Feldermelder (aka Manuel Oberholzer), following Hidden In Kaoris Castle and Drawn (both released on Feldermelder’s label, -Ous, 2020 and 2021). Oswald and Feldermelder describe this new and highly immersive sonic journey: «We find ourselves venturing into the depths of rugged terrain. In our hands, we hold stones and minerals, each possessing its own distinct texture, weight, and sonic potential. It is through the artistic touch and through the musical instruments that these earthly treasures, once dormant, are awakened to life».

The acoustic cello of Oswald is processed through Feldermelder’s electronics and the duo’s electro-acoustic music becomes a puzzling sonic tapestry where the organic tones — reminiscent of minerals’ timbres — bring a touch of brightness and a distinctive edge, while the layered, orchestral harmonic structures lend a sense of grandeur and continuity. Often, it is impossible to trace the origins of this enigmatic music but the listener can always unearth hidden layers in it, as it transports the listener from one cerebral landscape to another.

Oswald’s minimalist and resonant strokes on the cello sound as directing the emotional course of the music and often sounds as floating in ever-expanding, processed atmospheres. Feldermelder completes this intriguing sonic puzzle by conjuring profound echoes that swirl like ancient whispers of the earth’s primordial past, sculpted from fragmented glitches and pulsating beats into delicate and intricate architectures.

Dual | Duel suggests a subtle balance of chaos and control as its immersive music meanders through the labyrinth of the mind.

Eyal Hareuveni

Sara Oswald (cello), Feldermelder (electronics)