Liner notes to album Torn Memories Of Folklore by Tomaž Grom and Zlatko Kaučič
Sitting outside in Lundensian sun while in my
headphones Slightly Used Machine - the church glockenspiel is heard
playing the old Swedish/Finnish psalm "Den blomstertid nu kommer"
right through, softly ripping apart the melodic bass lines of Tomaž Grom. Then
some heavy sub bass from a car stereo interferes on the track Sheep On
The Right Bank while on Knitting Traps girls sing, more cars
are heard passing and the dialect from Haupstadt is clearly recognizable - all
the while the VERY personal hectic banging and beating, but also the tiniest
sound from Zlatko Kaucic slowly makes its way out, since this is the last track
on the CD, of the very site specific musical alley just built by this
remarkable Slovenian duo, generations apart, and with I guess completely
different life stories, but here combining their musical intentions and chance
taking as if they had been brothers since early childhood - which means
forever..... - what we hear is what we get and what we get is not only a double
bass full of wonder and bliss and a percussionist using all his perfect
gestures, both mature and dramatic, alongside also odd electronics, breathing
voices and a harmonica - all combined in a happenstance and furious battle with
an ever present NOW - surrounding the listeners, surrounding the players - and
even if the NOW leaves all exit doors open, who would really want to and or
could use them?
The Zlatko/Grom experience is a dresser of massive
possibilities. Sudden endings? - then another drawer is opened as quick as the
first one was closed - or left half open. Do not worry. Bowing glissandi and
bells and scratched surfaces of cymbals and skins all belong to the formula of
these two highly esteemed gentlemen, both in their own right autonomous
milestones for decades in Slovenian impro-art music, making hyper authentic
sounds for a hypnotized multitude of 2021 and breaking its spell. Sounds are
very bad at keeping physical distance.
Hvala, Zlatko and Tomaž, for showing us why.
Martin Küchen, Lund, June 2021
