Two acoustic guitars. One belonging to the Belgian Julien Tassin and the other to the Finn Heikki Ruokangas. Eleven pieces, composed either by one or the other, plus a cover of Carlos Paredes and a traditional tune, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands. But above all, many interactions between the musicians, improvisations, dialogues. They both were on the avant-garde label Ramble Records; they followed each other on Instagram, but had never played together. They both received classical training, enjoy the freedom of jazz, love folk music, the pleasure of improvising for two. The album is full of sensitivity and emotion, sometimes energetic, sometimes serene, with touches of humour. Imagination, always. Their music comes from anecdotes, images, stories they tell each other. Like Tobacco Kiss, where you can smell the scent of a smoke-filled living room. Or 1994, an energetic homage to Kurt Cobain, to grunge, to the music of their youth. An album to listen to several times to absorb their voices and atmospheres. And to appreciate them.
J.-C.V.
