Exposé Online banner

Exposé Online

Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
Covering music from the fringes since 1993.

Reviews

Quartet Diminished — Deerand
(Moonjune MJR133, 2024, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-12-28

Deerand Cover art

Deerand is the fourth album from the Iranian group Quartet Diminished, and their first to be released on a label outside their home country. You can find their earlier albums on Bandcamp, however. The band was formed in 2013 by guitarist Ehsan Sadigh, bridging modern chamber music with rock. Also appearing are Soheil Peyghambari (bass clarinet, soprano sax), Mazyar Younesi (piano, voice), and Rouzbeh Fadavi (drums), plus Tony Levin and Markus Reuter as guests. On this album, all four pieces are credited as group compositions. The first half of the album consists of the title track, a four-part suite running more than 25 minutes, and while some sections are rather quiet, dropping down to just a piano, there’s plenty of variety to keep it interesting. It’s possible to draw some comparisons to various RIO and chamber rock groups such as Univers Zero and Present, though Quartet Diminished has its own identity. There are subtle hints of a Persian origin in the melodies, but it’s rarely obvious. They are masters of tension and release, moving from lovely lyrical sections into more energetic and intense sections. “Tehran II” is the first of two pieces that call back to the group’s debut album from 2015. “Tehran” was a six-minute track with relentless rhythmic patterns on guitar and piano, and the sequel is over fourteen minutes, starting with eerie long notes on bass clarinet and building very slowly to long, dramatic chords. It never touches on the manic energy of the first piece with the name. Another call-back is a new version of another piece from the first album, “Allegro per il Ré.” This is my favorite track on the album, nine minutes of tasty licks in varying meters, arranged and played impeccably. Quartet Diminished is a distinctive and talented entry into the realm of chamber rock, and it’s great to see them getting international recognition.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Tony Levin, Markus Reuter, Quartet Diminished

More info
http://4tetdiminished.bandcamp.com/album/deerand

 

What's new

These are the most recent changes made to artists, releases, and articles.