Lotte Anker, Jacob Anderskov & Kamil Piotrowicz - Antiworld I (Fundacja Słuchaj, 2024)

By Stef Gijssels

Every record with Danish saxophonist Lotte Anker is to be cherished, whether as a member of the "Fred Frith Trio", as a leader with "Plodi", with Jakob Riis on "Squid Police", on "Birthmark" with Rodrigo Pinheiro and Hernâni Faustino, or on the brilliant "Floating Islands" with Craig Taborn and Gerald Cleaver. This latter album is still a very frequent visitor on my turntable and this trio album with Kamil Piotrowicz and Jacob Anderskov on piano comes close in terms of style and quality. 

The 'leader' of this trio is the young Polish pianist Kamil Piotrowicz, born in 1992, classically trained as of the age of seven, yet getting increasingly interested in improvised music during adolescence. After his musical studies in Gdansk, he continued his training in Denmark. He describes the concept of his music in the liner notes: "

"Antiworld I is the beginning of a cycle of compositions for non-traditional ensembles and improvisers, which I dreamed of starting as a young student at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen back in 2018. This live recording from 2019 is a very special initial exploration, where I had the pleasure of inviting and collaborating on the idea with artists who are extremely important to me: Jacob Anderskov and Lotte Anker. The Antiworlds are still to be created, composed, improvised, dreamed, defined, and found… " 

The ten tracks of the live album form the word "Antiworld", and should be considered as a very long suite with changing angles of approach. The concept of having two grand pianos offering the double rhythmic base for the wonderful lyrical flights of Anker's sax. The pianos move in an out of rhythmic and thematic patterns, often sounding like a gurgling and babbling mountain brook, at high speed or slow speed, yet never bombastic or heavy, keeping a very lightfooted sensitivity, allowing for quieter and more meditative moments, full of freedom, surprises and unexpected turns. Little phrases are often repeated, then changed and repeated again. It is not clear to me which piano is played by either pianist, but that's less relevant than the quality of their interaction. And Anderskov and Piotrowicz are truly symbiotic in this kind of music. 

And of course Anker's participation elevates the beauty of the two pianos and Piotrowicz's musical concept even to a higher level. Her tone is so lyrical, precise, vulnerable, sensitive, sad or joyful, never loud or never overpowering, and always with an incredibly deep emotional power, making every note and the inflection of every note of value. 

I think it's amazing again that such great music takes five years to find a label willing to publish it. We can only appreciate that Fundacja Słuchaj has made the investment. Piotrowicz is a musician with great ideas, and we cannot wait to hear more from him. 

Some pieces are of a true magnificent beauty. 

Listen and download from Bandcamp.