Vibes dominate the serenity of the “Paradise Regained” suite. Later ‘I’antitête’ is more obviously avant-garde and where Stephen Gosling’s role is central. Sections teeter on the brink of anarchy and there’s a rumbling intensity to prevailing motion and rhythmical multifariousness. But there’s more mystery and again a strong role for vibes on the longest piece of all ‘The Philosophy of Weightlessness.’ That mystery is apt given that the album title “Fantasma,” a borrowing from Latin itself borrowed from ancient Greek, can refer to a spectre, apparition or ghost.
The evident approach harnesses dazzling compositional passion play that unleash blizzards of virtuosity to blur the boundaries between classical, jazz and the avant-garde. Examination of genre loyalty, pin pointing this or that in terms of certain passages, is a waste of time. That’s because not only is it a fairly subjective anatomy of a pursuit but also because the album is so maximalist and contains a range of musical identities that form a giant, interconnected world spanning a variety of elements. That’s partly why it’s a thrilling ride to glimpse its outer limits first and venture in for some delicious detail later.
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