Stereotaxi is a consuming new album from pianist Zack Clarke and cellist Chris Irvine, both blending modern classical and jazz with stirring effect here. Clarke grabbed our attention last year with the album Plunge, which incorporated electronic elements alongside his piano work. Stereotaxi adds further depth to his beautiful piano sounds, with the collaborative cello work of Irvine. Their instruments impress across both cohesively melodic standouts and wonderfully unsettling sequences that resemble a duel of two instruments.
Opening track “Gliding Through” is an enveloping introduction to the two musicians’ compelling interplay. The cello and piano are very dynamic instruments, and these two performers showcase precisely that on “Gliding Through” and within Stereotaxi. Clarke’s piano work on the opener ranges from brisk trickling to sporadic clangs, while Irvine’s cello emits an emotive ferocity in moments of both passion and subdued intrigue.
The ensuing “Fragments of Surprise” showcases a more elegant unfolding; the cello presents a weeping melancholy, comparatively, while the piano work sends chills in its icy, dreamy solemnness. The album quickly showcases a tendency for both delectably gripping chaos and melancholic reflection across the first two tracks. Stereotaxi continues to captivate thereafter, from the aptly titled heartrending lushness within “Sorrow Song” to the cinematic-feeling “Confrontation,” where eerie cello bursts pair enthrallingly with colorful piano playing; shades of Ryuichi Sakamoto show in its eclectic production.
“Waking in Water” also dazzles in its variety of gorgeous serenity and intense escalations, being another thorough example of the duo’s impressive songwriting and musicianship — on full display throughout the riveting Stereotaxi.
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We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
