I Know the Number of the Sand and the Measure of the Sea by Lea Bertucci + Olivia Block

 

Collaborations are quite often a definitive test to how the musicians can communicate their ideas through different mediums to themselves and to each other - depending how many people are involved in the communication. 

 Work between Olivia Block and Lea Bertucci was set to happen a little while ago and was on the cards since 2017. They worked together live in NYC in 2022 at Pioneer Works. 

In all this time the ideas have become more or less crystal clear and especially when the track  “I Know the Number of the Sand and the Measure of the Sea” with a reference to Delphi oracle came to existence. 

The result is an astounding psychoactive content. An amalgam of Lea's processed voice, textures from Olivia's prepared tapes and keyboard as well as microcassette collages and field recordings used by Bertucci.

It's a dense and hectic narrative at times. At other times it feels that little amount of means resonate better with just Lea's voice and Olivia's background. All in all - a very emotional if not spiritual experience of understanding the elements first hand, by listening, by opening yourself up to the whole concept of the process. 

In many ways - the measure of quality here is not only how both ladies operate their tools, how well they know them but foremostly how intuition works, how many times they work with low and medium frequencies and how well they work with pauses.

Excellent album that is a trademark of well-understood and well-communicated collaboration.

Bandcamp