...And We Also Caught a Fish

These two form a guitar duet with a twist, to say the least. Fredrik Soegaard, who has released a few albums with his Soegaard Ensemble on Leo Records, is best known for his MIDI guitar and computer algorithms set-up. Hasse Emil Poulsen, who has a discreet yet impressive track record in free improvisation, relies mostly on a regular guitar, in this case a Guild Jumbo, which he might prepare with various objects. On this studio session, he also adds effects, although sparsely. The pairing of Soegaard the looping soundscapist and Poulsen the acoustic improviser works surprisingly well. And We Also Caught a Fish consists of a single, 65-minute piece (split into eight indexes for the listener's convenience). The two guitarists go through several mood swings. The music evokes at times Robert Fripp's soundscape music, David Torn and Hans Tammen's solo albums, and Fred Frith and Henry Kaiser's collaborations. But mostly the music defines its own field, Soegaard's fractal loops adding an element of uncertainty (and downright danger) in the first half of the album, as Poulsen weaves quiet passages in and around his contributions. Things gel two-thirds of the way into the album, as a more vehement and intricate dialogue gets developed. The last third grows slightly stale, especially in the last index (roughly 13 minutes): Soegaard locks in a searing loop that will remain upfront for too long, seemingly atrophying the musician's creativity. They sound completely entranced by the loop, incapable of breaking free from it — the piece will even end with a fade-out. It is still a fine album and fans of experimental guitar music would be well advised to give it a listen. And as far as Soegaard's discography is concerned, this is one of his warmer-sounding releases. ~ François Couture, Rovi