DEERAND

Quartet Diminished were formed in Iran in 2013 by guitarist Ehsan Sadigh: this is their fourth album, although their debut for Moonjune, and the third with the same core line-up of Sadigh (electric guitar), Soheil Peyghambar (woodwinds), Mazyar Younessi (piano, voice), and Rouzbeh Fadavi (drums) although here they have brought in guests bass guitarist/Chapman stick bassist Tony Levin, and touch guitarist Markus Reuter. The previous albums were all given Station numbers, but here the title 'Deerand' comes from a Persian musical term that means the duration of an instrument's tones. Levin and Reuter need no introduction, having both been at the cutting edge of music for decades, but I think this is the first time I have come across a band from Iran and yet again, if it were needed, this demonstrates just how important Leonardo Pavkovic is in getting world music out to a much wider audience.

Released towards the end of 2024, this album was recorded in just two days at La Casa Murada in December 2022. This 11th century farmhouse located just an hour west of Barcelona, has been converted into a studio by renowned Catalan bassist, composer and sound engineer Jesus Rovira and Moonjune often bring artists together to play in an environment where they can bounce ideas off each other and produce incredible results. That is what we have here in an album which in many ways feels scored, yet there are also areas for improvisation and for everyone to have their say, which is demonstrated in the way that both Reuter and Levin have been given full writing credits.

Only four songs on the album, but the first of these is a four-part suite which is more than 25 minutes long. There is no doubt this is the highlight of the album, a modern classical piece which brings in elements of avant garde, jazz and non-Western influences which take the music in unexpected directions. It is easy for listeners to become used to certain musical phrases, and when hearing music which comes from a totally different background it can be exciting, intriguing, and even a little magical, and that is what we have here. At times the arrangement is simple, allowing space to become a full member of the ensemble, but at others the layers are incredibly complex and tight as the notes weave between each other. There are blisteringly fast runs, or music which is languorous and taking its time as it works through the landscape.

I know Levin and Reuter are inspiring musicians who have very close ties, but for them to come into a close-knit band and then all six record this in just a couple of days is nothing short of remarkable. It is dynamic, compelling, enthralling and exciting all at once, different yet also comfortable and familiar, never stepping too far away from the mainstream yet somehow always being far from it. I have been lucky enough to hear many albums which have involved Reuter and here he is at his most restrained as he ensures he adds to the music without ever taking it away from the others, while Levin also holds back so they both add to the vision without ever making it theirs and moving it away from the concept. This is yet another fascinating release from the Moonjune stable which I highly recommend.

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