East of West: Velella

Blurring boundaries, dissolving distance, and creating coherence, Velella, the 4th studio album by the Brisbane, Australia trio East of West exhibits the group's distinctive style.

The trio is led by Bosnian-born composer Goran Gajić (double bass), with Philip Griffin on oud and laouto, and Malindi Morris on percussion. Collectively, these musicians produce a compelling blend of Balkan-influenced rhythms and melodic motifs.

Both the album and its title track derive their name from the species Velella velella (by-the-wind sailor), a colonial aquatic organism, which, like the band itself, is composed of intuitively connected, interdependent individuals. The result is a cornucopia of varied and complex time signatures and rare instrumentation.

In his book, Panaesthetics: On the Unity and Diversity of the Arts (Yale University Press, 2014), the late Daniel Albright, the Ernest Bernbaum Professor of Literature at Harvard and editor of Modernism and Music (University of Chicago Press, 2004), argues against Goethe's assertion that art is art because it is not nature, proposing that nature is nature because it is art. The study of comparative arts encourages scholars to answer the question "Are the arts one or are the arts many?" So too should one oppose artificial divisions and instead embrace the notion that art and nature are most powerful when united, because together they reveal both the beauty of the world and the truth within.

That belief is upheld on this recording project. Any disciplinary boundaries between artistic performance and natural science have been actively erased. For example, Griffin is not only the trio's oud and laouto player but also a well-practiced naturalist. The first of his two compositions on this album, "A Distinct Lack of Parrotfinch," links to his birding adventures and bemoans the colorful, passerine bird's threatened existence. Careful attention paid here reveals a most unusual time signature of 50/8, which, while challenging to count, possesses a palpable and forceful groove propelled by Morris's masterful darbuka and daf playing.

The trio's distinctive style and elemental connection to nature result in sonic imagery that triggers a sort of colored hearing that verges on synesthesia. Connections are forged, and unity is achieved, honoring the natural world that surrounds us. Each piece is at once percussive and melodic. Compositions range from compact to spacious, and while individual works beg the listener's rapt attention, as a whole the album possesses a mesmerizing, atmospheric quality befitting ambient soundscapes.

The introductory track, "Green Clouds," creates the sensation of being suspended in space, characteristic of an afternoon storm brewing on the western horizon on a hot summer day. Following an ominous double bass introductory line, an oud seconds the melody in a manner that foreshadows the impending storm. Next, the addition of a frame drum elevates the sense of anticipation. As the collection's longest piece, ample time is allotted for tension to mount as the drama unfolds.

Gajić has dedicated "Spring Street" to the sun-drenched section of Brisbane's West End where he and Morris once lived. His composition is meant to convey the eccentricity of the area's inhabitants, unconventional style, and kaleidoscopic contributions to life within that community.

On "Gathering," listeners can hear the overlapping voices and intertwining conversations of speakers striving to be heard in the midst of a raucous social event one can almost envision. The artists' combined playing mimics the rhythms inherent to speech patterns.

"Dancing Leaves" musically illustrates the unbridled movement inherent to natural environments, especially those influenced by seasonal shifts in weather. The lift and swell of air currents are palpable. The trio's interactions flow seamlessly between composed parts and open solos—exhibiting the trust, respect, and reciprocity emblematic of an 8-year-long creative collaboration.

The track "Camille," written in 11/8 time, has a gently rolling groove and features the broadest range of percussion instruments, including bowed cymbal, mallets, brushes, sticks, and an 18" Tar, effectively combined to form a rich rhythmic tapestry upon which each subtle melodic element is displayed.

Throughout the album, the trio's minimalistic instrumentation is deeply captivating. Gajić's double bass often takes the melodic lead, pursuing deeply resonant yet sparsely populated lines. Morris's precise, intricate, and intentional percussion arrangements are sharply contrasted with her exquisite, improvisational soloing. And Griffin's oud virtuosity is magnetic. Together, the players alternately fill interstitial spaces and generate transitional voids, which, like similar or carefully placed caesura in poetry, deftly draw listeners in—to dramatic effect.