Ten Ka: Sonic Geometry - Structures, Patterns And Forms

Ten Ka means "fire of the sky" in Japanese. It's the project of composer and multi-instrumentalist Deniss Pashkevich, who is one of the leading figures on the Latvian jazz scene. Some see him purely as part of the John Coltrane tradition but this is not the whole story. While Pashkevich definitely is an adherent of Coltrane's spirituality, nevertheless he goes to different directions, expressing his own ideas within acoustic and electronic soundscapes.

Here Pashkevich focuses on the redefinitions of jazz and contemporary music. He mostly uses delicate and pleasing modular patterns which are sometimes reminiscent of Brian Eno or Abul Mogard. Pashkevich avoids intense, loud and distracting compositional elements. The most accurate words, describing his album, would be soft, quiet, slow or even fragile. However, "Sonic geometry: structures, patterns and forms" has some glitchy compositions such as "Generative circuit," enriched with staccato style passages played with prepared piano.

Modular textures organically interwoven with acoustic instruments produce cinematographic soundscapes. That does not just activate the listener's imagination but also stimulates sonic curiosity. On "Daawaa" distorted prepared piano creates an image of blossoming pure love, whereas "Meelaa Tokh," on which Pashkevich plays bansuri, takes the listener back to lost the childhood.

Ten Ka's debut is an electroacoustic journey which goes beyond jazz or any other genre. It is a personal, intimate and deeply touching recording.