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Luca Calabrese — I Shin Den Shin
(Moonjune MJR137, 2024, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2025-11-16

I Shin Den Shin Cover art

Luca Calabrese's album I Shin Den Shin features some of the Moonjune regulars in a somewhat different setting than we're used to hearing them. Calabrese is an Italian trumpet player with appearances on nearly a hundred recordings, including with Cecil Taylor, Keith Tippett, and even Isildurs Bane. Most relevant to the release at hand are his contributions to the Pat Mastelotto / Markus Reuter album FACE and some recent releases by Richard Barbieri. Here we find Calabrese backed by Reuter (Touch Guitar, soundscapes), guitarists Nguyên Lê and Mark Wingfield, and Alexander Dowerk (Touch Guitar); Calabrese confines himself to using pocket trumpet, though that’s not especially apparent just from listening. Putting a trumpet into a setting with expansive electronics is not a new idea, and I can’t help thinking back to 1980, when Jon Hassell and Brian Eno teamed up for Fourth World Vol. 1 - Possible Musics. You’ll hear some of the same kinds of sounds here, though the trumpet itself is left fairly natural, without a lot of processing or harmonization. As with much of Reuter’s soundscape work, it’s difficult to tell what’s created by synths and what comes from his Touch Guitar. And it’s a little surprising that the album has two outstanding guitarists participating, yet it’s only seldom that you hear anything that is clearly sourced from guitar. The lack of any drums or percussion lends the music a very meditative air, though it’s not static — there’s always something changing, just not quickly. The success of the album is largely down to Reuter’s production, which strikes a perfect balance between ambience and emotional expression. It’s a wonderful experience, and I find it much more satisfying than the vast array of ambient music out there.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Markus Reuter, Mark Wingfield, Nguyên Lê, Luca Calabrese

More info
http://lucacalabrese-moonjune.bandcamp.com/album/i-shin-den-shin

 

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