Samara Lubelski and Marcia Bassett: Indexical​/​Rhizome

New York based multiinstrumentalists Samara Lubelski and Marcia Bassett are both boundary pushing sonic explorers. Alone or together the pair often take music into uncharted territories. Their eighth duo release, Indexical/Rhizome, is made up of two long improvisations, recorded two years apart, on which Lubelski on violin and Bassett on guitar create electric and electrifying tonal structures.

The earlier piece, "Indexical," from the early days of the COVID19 pandemic, starts with a drone that sets an ominously dark mood. It slowly evolves to an otherworldly instrumental chant where the repetitive motifs of one set of strings are mirrored and amplified in the other. There is a sense of melancholy in the ebb and flow of the duets with contemplative lines alternating with angst ridden ones. Lubleski's energetic bowing reverberates against the howl of Bassett's amplified guitar. The track concludes with a forlorn quietude.

The later piece, "Rhizome DC," is more serene having been recorded in December 2022, as the pandemic was waning, and has a more spiritual feel. Bassett and Lubelski alternate long and resonant phrases to a dramatic effect. There is still wistfulness to these exchanges as well as fiery rage. This does not signify lack of sophistication. On the contrary, despite the ample dissonance, there is a subtle elegance to the logical progression of these extemporizations. These dual musings that contrast with and complement one another have a sense of poetry, albeit one conceived on a lone ship lost in space.

Named after the venues where they performed these two long tunes make for a cohesive album despite the separation in time. Lubelski and Bassett are successful in their experiments and have created a provocative and absorbing work. It rewards those who are willing to check their preconceptions at the proverbial door and let the sound waves wash over them.