Hanna Schörken / Rieko Okuda - Pink Citrons [Umland Records 037]

Fresh on the circuit via Essen's Umland Records label as their cat.no. 037 is "Pink Citrons" - the first ever collaborational album effort by Hanna Schörken and Rieko Okuda, a pair of artists which first met only three years ago and have been working and touring as a duo ever since. Based on a combination of piano, voice and synthesizer the ten compositions on their longplay debut explore a quite avantgarde leaning, oftentimes improvisation-based sonic realm meandering in between Experimental Jazz, dramatic and hammering piano explosions, tender electronic textures and abstract vocal (ab)use swinging back and forth from a lyrical, emotional start to intense (non)vocal utterings on the edge of madness, from tender, accessible pieces like "She Knows" or the beautifully stripped down, intimate and somewhat folksy title cut "Pink Citrons" to cacophonic, demanding outings like "Ich  Verschwieg", the 94 seconds spanning "O Sit" as well as "In His Sleep". An album about to scare the living shit out of a faint-hearted audience but as well one to provide rewards to experienced, adventurous and probably academically trained listeners willing to invest their precious time in multiple highly focused listening sessions.

Album artwork on Instagram!