Mösiöblö <Á Robert Filliou> / Mosioblo <A Robert Filliou>

Mösiöblö (À Robert Filliou) is the work of an accomplished composer, an opus of maturity, something to be remembered by. Day & Taxi saxophonist Christoph Gallio did not set a selection of Robert Filliou's haiku-like poems to music, he worked them into the compositions, creating multi-referential ties between the two mediums, the musicality of the words triggering responses from the musicians. Mösiöblö takes the form of a suite of 36 short vignettes for mezzo-soprano and a chamber quartet (for lack of a better term) of guitar, clarinet, saxophone, and trumpet. Approximately half of the tracks feature minute improvisations, the others are composed. Both categories of pieces remain very short, often under one minute, rarely over two. Sarah Mauer's warm and precise voice and the art song stylings of Gallio's writing recall Dagmar Krause's various projects, from the similarly miniaturized songs of Commuters to her albums with News From Babel and Marie Goyette. It allies the purity of the motet with contemporary melodies. The accompaniment ranges from delicately crafted scores of new music to more animal outbursts. Restraint is the key. Marino Pliakas, best known for his tenure as bassist in the avant-core trio Steamboat Switzerland, shines on classical guitar. Gallio managed to condense a lot of things in these charming songs, yet they feel light, almost naïve — exactly as in Filliou's haikus. A successful artistic endeavor, Mösiöblö is also highly pleasurable for the listener, who comes out of these 36 tracks (in 42 minutes!) with only one desire: Press the play button again in order to hear every detail hidden under the apparent simplicity. Delightful and strongly recommended. ~ François Couture, Rovi