Review

Juliana Hodkinson and Niels Rønsholdt: Fish & Fowl

Darksness in Denmark

This release by the Danish music and art ensemble Scenatet is by turns baffling, hypnotic, startling and mesmerically beautiful. Nearly impossible to categorize (one of its strengths), it's comprised of atonal, off-kilter chamber music enhanced with such evocative sound effects as heavily suggestive breathing, creaking doors and ominous footsteps. It plays out like a soundtrack to a twisted euro horror film from the 1970s - one can easily imagine it as the aural underscore to the dark, demonic cinema of Paul Naschy. Gloriously abstract, yet possessed of an enigmatic narrative and emotional coherence, Fish and Fowl will keep you under its spell from beginning to end. Turn out the lights and let it gather you into its folds of paradox and poetry.