Recorded in Courtis' native Buenos Aires in 2008, Naranja Songs finds the ultra-prolific musician matched up with the equally hardworking Tetuzi Akiyama, producing four tracks of steamy acoustic guitar interplay. "Mind Mochileros" begins rather slowly, as the guitarists feel each other out; they sit on either side of the audible spectrum, with one pounding out a stream of low-end notes as the other generates cascading high register passages. On "Springs and Strings," the duo manage to invoke a reverberating drone that is surrounded by what sounds to be a collection of springs leaping simultaneously in many directions.
The more traditional "The Cítrico Vibe" is a meandering march down a well-worn path. In the piece, Akiyama and Courtis improvise around a common theme, chasing each other, yet neither player ever outpaces the other, resulting in a pleasing atmosphere overall. "Los Frets Nómades" closes out the set, playing one guitarist's metallic noise against the other's delicate plucking. Slowly paced and extremely minimal, Naranja Songs is another example of the symbiosis that can be achieved when highly talented individuals make music together.
(Public Eyesore)The more traditional "The Cítrico Vibe" is a meandering march down a well-worn path. In the piece, Akiyama and Courtis improvise around a common theme, chasing each other, yet neither player ever outpaces the other, resulting in a pleasing atmosphere overall. "Los Frets Nómades" closes out the set, playing one guitarist's metallic noise against the other's delicate plucking. Slowly paced and extremely minimal, Naranja Songs is another example of the symbiosis that can be achieved when highly talented individuals make music together.
