Atanas Rekasius - Fonogramatika [Music Information Centre Lithuania]

Recently released via Music Information Centre Lithuania is "Fonogramatika", an honoration and digest of the musical work of the Lithuanian composer Atanas Rekasius who passed away in 2003 - an album that features excerpts from compositions crafted in the period from 1968 to 1981, all played and executed by the five piece ensemble named Apartment House comprised of Frank Gratkowski, Simon Limbrick, Anton Lukoszevieze, Philip Thomas and Kerry Young. Starting of with five miniatures from the 1968-piece "Epitafia" we see repetetive juxtapositions of cello romanticisms and Jazz Noir as well as haunting percussions, the 1970-composed "Atonika" seems to be a looped remainder of old time pianola- / silent film-era and the undated "Fonograma" serves a more subtle, melancholia-inducing approach to (Italian) Jazz that's regularly interrupted by lively, sometimes seemingly absurd episodes, following Rekasius' main principle of repetetion and alteration. Within the 10 minutes of 1981's "Fluorescencijos" solemn synthesizers meet plangent cellos in a quite thrilling, yet perturbing and intense manner before scientific, artificial beeps and plucked strings evoke memories of old sci-fi soundtracks and the final bits of 1980's "Musica Dolente E Con Brio" could well accompany an avantgarde operetta musically due to their intense, dramatic and diversified use of flute, saxophone, chimes, cello and percussion. Defo a well-curated overview on the work of this contemporary composer.