Pianist and composer, Francesco Tristano, joins forces with one of the godfathers of
Detroit techno Derrick May on Surface Tension. Described by the man himself as his
''most techno and synth-based project yet,'' the eight-track effort is both a celebration of
electronic instrumentation and the first record Derrick May has worked extensively on
for the better part of two decades. ''I had to lure him into my studio,'' Tristano says of
May with a smile, ''he was like Alice in Wonderland when he saw the synthesizers.''
Originally developed as a way create new material for Tristano's p:anorig project - a
unique live set-up debuted at Barcelona's Sonar festival - Surface Tension grew into a
project in its own right. With an instrumentation of analog, digital, classic and modern
gear - ranging from Prophets to Moogs, to Rolands and Yamahas - at his and May's
disposal, Tristano has aimed to keep processing to a minimum. The pair are not just
using these synths, they're paying tribute to them, honoring their rich, recognizable
sound palettes. The result is an album that feels, at once, nostalgic and fresh; that feels
like an old friend, but one who never ceases to surprise. From the ambient vision of
''Esoteric Thing'', drifting along to the sound of birdsong, to more beat-centric pieces
such as ''The Mentor'' and the quirky ''Xokolade'', the equipment, and the love it's been
treated with, shines through. Both Tristano and May's individual presences are obvious
too, yet work in a way so complimentary to each other as to blur the lines at which they
cross. ''Pacific FM'' is a lesson in uplifting techno, keys fluttering over pad-foot bass; the
futuristic Detroit dance of ''In Da Minor'' is undercut by eerie, unpredictable glass synthwork; ''Rocco's Bounce'' is free-form jazz tugged into line by structured four-to-the-floor;
there's even an itchy, jittering, Decca Records-sanctioned remix of Japanese pianist and
general Renaissance man, Ryuichi Sakamoto's classic ''Merry Christmas, Mr.
Lawrence''. Those hoping for a Francesco Tristano piano album: be duly warned. ''The
piano is there, but it's more like the shadow of the piano. We don't have the mass of
that sound, it's more like the reminiscence of that sound,'' says Tristano. It gives Surface
Tension the aforementioned significance. Tristano hasn't abandoned his roots, yet has
simultaneously transcended what it means to be a pianist in the 21st century. LP version
comes in a gatefold sleeve.
TRACKLISTING
01. Ryuichi Sakamoto - Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (Francesco Tristano Rework)
02. The Mentor (feat. Derrick May)
03. Pacific FM
04. Infinite Rise (feat. Derrick May)
05. In Da Minor (feat. Derrick May)
06. Rocco's Bounce
07. Xokolad
08. Esoteric Thing (feat. Derrick May)