Phronesis CD

Life to Everything

(Edition/Planet)

Phronesis Life resThe title comes from a wonderful Plato quote: “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” Phronesis has certainly been stimulating minds and imaginations since the Anglo-Danish band burst into life in 2005, and this live album confirms its spectacular ability to concoct aural effervescence.

Effervescence, of course, is a chemical reaction, here resulting from the creative collisions between bassist Jasper Hoiby, pianist Ivo Neame and drummer Anton Eger, especially rhythmically and texturally. The result is often dense music of hurtling momentum, and yet it is flecked with the finest detail.

Eger’s ability to contain the drums to whispering levels while playing with maximum energy is no studio trickery. Add Hoiby’s magnificent sound and distinctive phrasing and Neame’s inclination to leave holes in his sparkling improvisations, and you have a perfectly balanced dialogue. The compositional duties are also equally shared, as are the concepts underpinning those compositions. The only part of Plato they could still work on occasionally is the “soul”.