La Double Absence

format: CD (digipak)
label: staubgold

release date: 27 April 2007

After "Die offene Gesellschaft" (staubgold 33 cd/lp, 2002), "La Double
Absence" is thilges' second fulltime release for Staubgold: Western
experimental music meets oriental art music.
The ensemble emerged in 2003, when thilges was commissioned by the
renowned music promoter "Jeunesse" to make a composition. Among others,
the track "Izdiucz" is characteristic for this release: In Arabic, this
term describes the fusion of two different materials, and stands for
breaking up cultural barriers.
Thilges has been one of Austria's standard bands for sophisticated
experimental and electronic music for a long time. The Persian vocalist
Zohreh Jooya is a widely known interpreter of Persian and Afghan music,
and Asim Al-Chalabi who composed the tracks with thilges is regarded as
grandmaster of the oud in the Arabic world. Since 2004, thilges have
realised a number of performances with the American viola player Eyvind
Kang; a.o. Kang has released his music on Tzadik, and he has performed
with John Zorn and Mike Patton.
For "La double Absence" a specific, new way of playing had to be
developed; some pieces are completely notated, others are improvised.
The music is based on magams, traditional Arabic scales, that were
assigned to particular musicians. For this, thilges invited some of
Austria's most approved musicians for guest performances: Franz
Hautzinger (Zeitkratzer, Comforts of Madness) and Peter Rosmanith (Otto
Lechner Ensemble) contribute trumpet and percussion parts. Patrick
Pulsinger is responsible for the mastering of the record. 
"La Double Absence" offers everything a good pop record asks for: catchy
melodies, complex rhythms, and a downright atmospheric density. The
music is about bacchanal, melancholic, and difficult situations, thus
simply about life. This is international music; timeless, beautiful,
meditative, and complex.