Species

Progeny of American minimalism, the musicians of the New York ensemble Bing & Ruth use double bass (Jeff Ratner), clarinet (Jeremy Viner), and above all a Farfisa organ (composer David Moore), the electronic keyboard once used by the pioneers of this now inescapable variant of contemporary music. It seems that this contemplative music was also inspired by running, which David Moore is passionate about, and practiced in the Texas desert during the gestation period of Species. The double bass and clarinet, used in an atypical way, are almost unrecognizable from the outset, as the linearity of the playing and the singularity of the sound modify their identity in this context, where their microvariations blend discreetly into the sound of the electronic organ. Thus, the three instruments gathered here constitute a rich layering of frequencies generated in real time, without any superimposition or editing subsequent to the studio sound recording. Needless to say, several listenings are necessary to identify the nuggets of inspiration found in the sediments of these beautifully crafted pieces, which are less generic than we first thought.