M. Ostermeier – The Rules of Another Small World

Aside from his work with shoegaze infused band Should, M. Ostermeier weaves stunningly sparse works for piano and electronics. Following on from a spate of fantastic releases last year comes the composer’s latest release , released by relative newcomers Tench.

Offering something new to a path well trod, Ostermeier’s use of flickering, static clicks and pops combined with the gentle tones of the piano provides the listener with a series of short, study like pieces. A sparse yet sonorous depth is achieved through a delicate simplicity, free from needlessly complicated motifs or rhythms, allowing the music to breathe and drift of its own accord. Part of the ‘rules’ implied in the title was a limitation Ostermeier imposed upon himself to only use certain themes in structure and texture within each piece; although the album consists of numerous pieces produced within these confines, it feels complete as a whole with tonal continuity tying the work together without ever becoming repetitive.

Many of the tracks convey a sense of place or mood; the fragile recurring motif of ‘I Took Out Your Picture’, the piano surrounded by drifting chords and gently disjointed, percussion like sounds sending the listener on a nostalgic trip to a time long gone. Almost seamlessly, a fragmented version of the piano’s delicate motif carries us through to the empty room of ‘Floorboards, Well Worn’. Others are joyful explorations of the minutiae of sounds, such as the layered field recordings of ‘Underwater Drifting’ and ‘Trickel Down’.

There is a mesmeric quality to tracks such as ‘Suspicions’; its intermittent bass swooping in amongst the immersive tones while a fragmented piano line and flickering percussive sounds appear at irregular intervals to momentarily fill the sparse surroundings. ‘Ngth’ peacefully carries us off on a wave of dense layers and jittery static, gently bringing the album to a close.

All in all this is a stunning collection of pieces exploring the intricacies of found sounds and electronics and the beauty of the piano in its natural state, well worth investigating.

- Review by Katie English for Fluid Radio

Available through Stashed Goods

www.tenchrec.com