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Algol — Algol
(Buh Records BR201, 2025, LP)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2026-03-21

Algol Cover art

Algol was a primitive computer language from the 60s, now long dead (remember the days of punch cards?), but was a forebearer of many of the languages that came after. Algol is also the name of a triple-star system located about 90 light years from Earth, more commonly known as the “Demon Star,” which is also where this three-man improvising unit took its name. One can file this under “experimental” without any worries, where sounds can exist in free form withoit any guide rails or rules. The trio is formed by German drummer and producer Christian Lillinger, Austrian keyboardist Elias Stemeseder (piano, spinet, synthesizers), and Peruvian flutist and composer Camilo Ángeles, who also plays self-built aerophones and microtonal winds. Lillinger and Stemeseder had developed a long-standing duo collaboration, and with the addition of Ángeles in 2024, the trio was born, originally between Mexico City and Guadalajara; the trio has since toured cities in Europe (where much of the album was recorded) and Latin America. The album consists of four long tracks between six and twelve minutes, simply titled “Algol I” through “Algol IV,” and while one could use terms like chaotic and unsettling  to describe what’s in these grooves, one could also say interesting and challenging, with the foundation being constructed mainly with Lilinger’s drums — but that doesn’t imply anything orderly, with the two other players dancing around those irregular rhythms the best they can. With equally irregular melodies and electronic noises and even voices at times, it’s a collaborative improvisation where anything can happen at any time, mostly when not expected; one might wonder if the three musicians could even hear one another when some parts of this were recorded — but they do pull it off live, so one might imagine that all of the chaos is not accidental at all. This is a pretty daunting listen, so one should proceed with caution, but I think those of you who will dig this already know who you are. 

Filed under: New releases, 2025 releases

Related artist(s): Algol

More info
http://buhrecords.bandcamp.com/album/algol

 

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