by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

For her second album, the Swedish-Iranian composer Shida Shahabi reaches beyond the intimacy of the piano, looking for bigger surrounds. Homes, her first album in 2018, drew acclaim for its intimacy and storytelling from the solo instrument, but this time the unhurried music has a bigger stage from which to make itself known.

What’s the music like?

Deep and meaningful. This time Shahabi operates within larger structures – two tracks push ten minutes, while two are just shy of seven. With that said, the seven tracks are effectively movements of the same suite.

Living Circle begins in meditative mood. Over a low drone, featuring scrunched up double bass parts for Gus Loxbo, a lone cello (Linnea Olsson) intones a chant of deep resonance for Kinsei. This opens out beautifully into the wide-open textures of Deep Violet Of Gold. The cello is present here too, in its rawest form, but the melodic lines reach for higher points to a backdrop of soft, cloudy textures. Gradually the backdrop cracks under the weight of white noise, and the track becomes a great whoosh of sound through which the low cello can still be heard, before reaching a remarkably powerful coda. The title track brings in softly tolling piano, over which the cello lines soar as though on the wind. The music takes slow twists and turns, telling a deeply spiritual tale.

After these two substantial tracks the music pulls back for a thoughtful meditation, beautifully managed in Aestus, which, like Deep Violet Of Gold, features the pure tones of vocalists Julia Ringdahl and Nina Kinert. Tecum is more of a portrait, shaded by electronics and a cloudy backdrop taking Shahabi’s music closer to the world of science fiction. The increasingly serrated bass tones suggest a threatening presence.

Remain is a calming response, initially with lightly brushed solo piano but with the gradual introduction of touching strings from the back to the front. To close, Tree Mountain is rich with thick ambience, one of those drones the listener can dive into, while the solitary cello intones again, recreating the atmosphere if not the same music as the start.

Does it all work?

It does – but for maximum impact listening to the whole album is recommended. An immersive listening experience is also more rewarding, either on headphones or a surround sound system, allowing Shahabi’s manipulations of perspective to cast their full spell.

Is it recommended?

Yes. Living Circle is an absorbing, compelling album that shows just how far Shida Shahabi is developing as a composer. Her music makes a lasting impression.

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