Rybacka & Pasborg – Voice'N'Drums (2018)

Rybacka & Pasborg

Ania Rybacka - voice
Stefan Pasborg - drums

Voice`N`Drums

HEVHETIA 01157





By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by a duo comprising of Polish (resident in Denmark) vocalist Ania Rybacka and Danish drummer Stefan Pasborg. It presents eight improvised pieces co-credited to Rybacka and Pasborg.

The music is a courageous attempt to create meaningful aural experiences within the minimalistic setting of voice and drums only, which surprisingly works out very successfully. Obviously cross-genre and unconventional, the music encompasses many different ingredients, both melodically and rhythmically and is very difficult to pinpoint, which of course is its virtue. There are clearly elements of Jazz and Improvised music, but also World Music, Ambient, Meditative Music and others are involved.

Rybacka uses a plethora of wordless vocal techniques like looping, multiplexing, repetition and minimalistic Classical Music approach, creating a musical tapestry full of mysticism, anticipation and spirituality. Her level of inventiveness and exploration is awe inspiring and the album has no dull moments throughout its entire duration. Pasborg is not only equally inventive and diverse in his contributions, but most importantly an equal partner in the process of creating this music. The interplay and telepathic dialogue that develops between the two Artists is nothing short of phenomenal.

Overall this avant-garde effort is a fascinating and intelligent exercise in expanding the boundaries of music, which in spite of its innovation and daring approach is also very listenable and even enjoyable. Of course, as usual in such cases, an open-minded attitude is required from the listener to be able first to accept and then to enjoy this music. This is an important and highly recommended album, which proves that imagination has no limits and life does not have to be mundane and enslaved in the chains of archaic perceptions.