Celloist Hildur Guðnadóttir hails from Iceland and has the distinction of being familiar to fans of Animal Collective, industrial godfathers Throbbing Gristle and drifting minimalists Pan Sonic. A fertile composer, however, she’s more than a cello for hire.
Though there has been a raft of commissions and collaborative work, up until now, Guðnadóttir’s one solo release was 2006’s Mount A. Finally following it up with Without Sinking, she deploys multi-tracks of cello, halldorphone (a kind of electric cello), electronics and voice, forging a wonderfully compelling album. Though Guðnadóttir’s cello prowess is centre-stage, the melodic textures and sonic invention of tracks such as Overcast and Circular demand repeat listening. Elsewhere, Aether opens with a zither, before taking a darker turn with prowling bass clarinets. On the other hand, Into Warmer Air is underpinned by punchy bass guitar, taking the music closer to musical rock drift territory, while Heyr Himnasmidur is a memorable flow of piano, voice and sonic undertow.
The clarity and warmth of the recordings and the vinyl cut bring to mind the best output of Manfred Eicher’s ECM label. Touch should be applauded for taking such care in releasing this wonderful music.
