artist: TOMAS PHILLIPS
title: Six Notes
label: Koyuki
country: Italy
format: 3" CDR
title: Six Notes
label: Koyuki
country: Italy
format: 3" CDR
"I am not often left either speechless, or so emotionally overwhelmed that words become
meaningless after listening to a piece of music, yet Tomas Phillips has managed both
opinion) one of the year’s finest long-form works in the form of Six Notes. In the truest and
perhaps most impressive translation of minimalism, Phillips’ modus operandi is at once
highly simplistic, yet so elegantly and perfectly structured that it reaches a level of
refinement that has rarely been rivalled, a Donald Judd sculpture translated into sound.
Six Notes is intrinsically a sparse piano piece, with the instrument being stripped back to
its barest components, and then intelligently deconstructed and subjected to nuanced
treatments and deformations in much the same way that Noto and Sakamoto did on their
Vrioon pieces, or perhaps Kirshner’s recent Filaments and Voids foray on 12k. As the
piece goes on, it is infused with micro-particulates and sparkling textures, dark
reverberations and captivating silences, a structure that is deeply engaging and
emotionally uplifting, simultaneously serene and melancholic, this is something of a
masterwork for Phillips, and makes for a milestone release for Koyuki’s ever expanding
roster. For those cash-strapped souls amongst you, suffering from the effects of the
global financial meltdown, spend your hard earned money on this release, if you buy no
other. This has my very highest recommendation." (BGN - White_Line Editions)
meaningless after listening to a piece of music, yet Tomas Phillips has managed both
opinion) one of the year’s finest long-form works in the form of Six Notes. In the truest and
perhaps most impressive translation of minimalism, Phillips’ modus operandi is at once
highly simplistic, yet so elegantly and perfectly structured that it reaches a level of
refinement that has rarely been rivalled, a Donald Judd sculpture translated into sound.
Six Notes is intrinsically a sparse piano piece, with the instrument being stripped back to
its barest components, and then intelligently deconstructed and subjected to nuanced
treatments and deformations in much the same way that Noto and Sakamoto did on their
Vrioon pieces, or perhaps Kirshner’s recent Filaments and Voids foray on 12k. As the
piece goes on, it is infused with micro-particulates and sparkling textures, dark
reverberations and captivating silences, a structure that is deeply engaging and
emotionally uplifting, simultaneously serene and melancholic, this is something of a
masterwork for Phillips, and makes for a milestone release for Koyuki’s ever expanding
roster. For those cash-strapped souls amongst you, suffering from the effects of the
global financial meltdown, spend your hard earned money on this release, if you buy no
other. This has my very highest recommendation." (BGN - White_Line Editions)
