by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

The idea of composing a requiem for voices, drums and electronics has sat with Australian percussionist Laurence Pike for some time. Having explored the ‘processes and ecstatic outcomes of rituals’ on the Holy Spring album of 2019, he became more and more interested in applying contemporary instrumentation to an ancient religious form.

The death of his father-in-law in July 2021, in the middle of another Covid lockdown in Sydney, brought a prolonged period of sombre reflection for Pike, along with the well-documented environmental disasters in his homeland. With a new-found appreciation for nature, inspired by his wife’s late father, Pike resolved to write the requiem. For inspiration on the text he turned from the Latin text usually associated with requiem to the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, and in particular his Sonnets to Orpheus – inspired by the classical Greek myth.

What’s the music like?

Both striking and moving. Pike has always shown great invention in his writing, whether in a solo capacity or as a third of the excellent Szun Waves, but here he goes above and beyond.

In his use of percussion the listener can link to Japanese ambient music, while the choral writing is a blend of the ancient – Allegri’s Miserere, perhaps, heard most explicitly in the apex of the Introit – and more modern and rarefied Estonian works for choir.

All these come together on the thrilling Mountains Of The Heart section, a remarkable sequence of energetic drumming and high, held notes from the choir that take the music to the air. This is music of immense power and energy, but it is balanced with thoughtful asides and reflective moments that give the listener space. Universal Forces and All Is Distance are two such sections, intense meditations where Pike also uses the mysterious effect of quarter tones.

Eurydice is a profound, piano-led instrumental, laced with percussive counterpoint and field recordings that complement rather than intrude. This leads to the Requiem Aeternam itself, a combination of stasis (the wordless choir) and movement (percussion), with electronics also intoning a melody of ancient origin. It is an intense song without words.

Does it all work?

It does – and an immense amount of credit should go to the performers, not least the Vox Sydney Philharmonia Choir, the twelve singers who take on any challenge thrown at them. Pike’s drumming has immense power at times

Is it recommended?

Yes, enthusiastically. Laurence Pike has made something very special here, a piece of music that contrasts moments of great energy and contemplation. The Undreamt-of Centre is very much an album for our times.

For fans of… Tonu Korvits, Arvo Pärt, John Tavener, Philip Glass

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Published post no.2,311 – Tuesday 24 September 2024