Sophie Agnel/Olivier Benoit - Rip-Stop (In Situ)

With a systematic approach to improvisation that may well define a new subset of music in the continuum stemming from AMM, this new offering from France's In Situ imprint is as beautiful as it is addictive. The duo of piano and guitar has been done time and again, the possibilities being endless for two instruments capable of multiple octaves, endless single note runs, and every chord under the sun. Agnel and Benoit exploit the lesser explored sonicities inherent in those instruments' physical construction, adjoining familiar sounds with electronics and mechanical effects. Comparisons to Keith Rowe and John Tilbury are bound to spring up, given the areas Rip-Stop works in, but the likenesses are few in the matters of sound and delivery. The disc's heaviest moments are laced in Agnel's sustain pedal and copious reverb from the guitar, the music sounding as if recorded in a moist tunnel. It's a gorgeous disc and its four long tracks (each over 12 minutes) are diverse, while essentially thematic. Agnel and Benoit are a huge find for anyone needing a break from the usual suspects in improvised music.