Fractal Beauty Klaus Paier, Asja Valcic & Gerald Preinfalk

• 1 Trismo 04:45
• 2 Main Street 05:08
• 3 Major Waltz 03:35
• 4 Into the Spring 04:42
• 5 3 Views 06:04
• 6 Remember the Tango 03:34
• 7 Fractal Beauty 04:14
• 8 Not Larsson 03:53
• 9 Mosaic 07:21
• 10 Geogema 04:11
• 11 Just Wonderful 04:52
• 12 Gaia's Prayer 05:03
• Total Runtime 57:22

Info for Fractal Beauty

The world of music has raved for more than a decade over Klaus Paier, an accordionist from Austria, and Asja Valcic, a cellist from Croatia. The German trade periodical “Jazzthing” praised “how timelessly and genre-transcending the duo makes music while taking jazz as its basis. Listening to one another, communicating, stitching anew onto the other’s ideas.” Applause came from “The Guardian” for the “gripping interplay,” and “Paris Move” saw “an invitation for the listener to cross boundaries.” For their SKIP debut album entitled “Fractal Beauty” the two have now expanded their phonic cosmos by adding Gerald Preinfalk, a woodwind player from Vienna whose CV includes work with the Vienna Art Orchestra as well as the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Bass clarinet, soprano sax and clarinet provide meticulously coordinated colorings that nestle perfectly on the sounds of accordion and cello.

In terms of its dynamics, virtuosity and fragility, the kaleidoscope of audiophonics devised on “Fractal Beauty” is a bold blueprint on the path to perfection in sound that offers a balance of freedom and form, complex music and compelling melodies, suspense and release, and above all the purest of poetry. In the process, all three contribute on an equal footing as composers to take listeners along on a breathless journey from Valcic’s drivingly arabesque “Trismo” to Paier’s buoyantly lighthearted “Major Waltz” and on to Preinfalk’s multifaceted “3 Views”. Highlighted with wonderful cello voicings by Asja Valcic, “Into the Spring” meanders between melancholy classic and the levity of swing while featuring Klaus Paier on bandoneon. On “Mosaic”, it’s the broad spectrum of tones that Gerald Preinfalk elicits from the bass clarinet and the contrasting ebb and flow from Paier’s accordion that impress: a thrilling joie de vivre, though the silent moments equally take your breath away. “Remember the Tango”, another composition by Paier, evolves from a delicate melody into a high- spirited dance that allows the virtuoso talent these 3 protagonists display to shine at its brightest. The enchanting title track “Fractal Beauty” is situated in the classical cosmos and breathes calmness and serenity. Not a bit less poetic is Gerald Preinfalk’s “Not Larsson”, a contrast to the scurrying instruments and chasing lines portrayed in “Mosaic” above. On “Just Wonderful”, the audiophonic accents are set once again by the bandoneon. At the end, “Gaia’s Prayer” proffers the concluding masterpiece by Asja Valcic to simply melt away on. A grand musical array that effortlessly combines jazz, contemporary and classical music with today’s world music. Forceful and yet so fragile in its components, played to sheet music yet with plenty of room for first-rate improvisation and sparkling soloist highlights, in this trio unbridled passion meets subtlety in an unparalleled fashion, a feast of emotions for the inquisitive listener.

Klaus Paier, accordion, bandoneon
Asja Valcic, cello
Gerald Preinfalk, soprano saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet

Klaus Paier, Asja Valcic & Gerald Preinfalk
Three musicians, soloists and composers with keys, strings and pads: Austrian musicians Klaus Paier and Gerald Preinfalk as well as Croatian Asja Valcic have formed a really fascinating trio as their new creative area. In terms of its dynamics, virtuosity and fragility, the kaleidoscope of audiophonics devised on the new album "Fractal Beauty" is a bold blueprint on the path to perfection in sound that offers a balance of freedom and form, complex music and compelling melodies, suspense and release, and above all the purest of poetry.

This album contains no booklet.