The Subconscious Trio was formed in Milan in 2015 and features pianist Monique Chao, who was born in Taiwan but chose Milan as her home, double bass player Victoria Kirilova, who was born in Bulgaria but currently lives in Vienna and the only Italian, drummer Francesca Remigi, who was born Bergamo but now resides in Boston. The three musicians met at the Milan Conservatory. «Water Shapes» is the debut album of the trio and was recorded at Sound & Music Village in Milano in July 2021.
The trio declares that the album was inspired by the multitude of facets and shifts in one’s personality, i.e. intuitive contemplation, energetic extroversion, gentle moments of solitude, wildness and flexibility – just like water’s many facets. Chao, Kirilova and Remigi composed the eight pieces all rely on the legacy of the piano trio, but with subtle influences of Bulgarian and Taiwanese traditional music and touches of Indian music, art-pop and funk.
The Subconscious Trio is a well-balanced and democratic outfit, with tight and playful dynamics forged through numerous performances. All the compositions revolve around a strong melodic theme and strong rhythmic patterns, developed as reserved dramatic stories and often intensified by the hyperactive Remigi. Kirilova’s two compositions – «Moving Castle» and the title piece, and Chao’s «Women and Gravity» capture the Subconscious Trio at its, best, powerful, poetic and engaging.
Eyal Hareuveni
Monique Chao (p, v), Victoria Kirilova (b), Francesca Remigi (dr)
