Crib Notes

Duet for Theremin and Lap Steel’s latest offering captures two sprawling masses of improvised drones too harmonious to be called avant-garde and too experimental for stuffy modern classical terms. These sounds are the product of two minds sharing a single headspace and letting the music drive – which is typical of the Atlanta duo. From the onset of the 23:56 minute opener “Live at Eyedrum,” the lines are blurred as each instrument’s respective whines and whirs waver in a dream state. The longer 33:18 minute piece, “Live at Kavarna,” embodies everything the subconscious mind finds appealing when deciphering the beauty in whale songs, haunted house sounds and dog whistles. Here, they collide with the cerebellum in a graceful, slow-motion crash. Put it on and drift away. (Self released) 4 out of 5 stars.

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The name says it all.

Duet for Theremin and Lap Steel is a character study of two instruments that have about as much in common with each other as “Star Trek” has with “Green Acres.”

Yet both instruments have traditionally been used to add background color and texture to their respective musical locales. The electronic theremin captures the eerie, sci-fi sounds of outer space, while the lap steel produces the wavering whir heard everywhere from Hawaiian luaus to front-porch jamborees in the wilds of Appalachia.

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