Short Reviews [Malcolm Galloway - 2015 - Minimalist]

Also from 2015, Galloway presents us with three pieces and a total length of just over 40 minutes, with “Oblong” being the longest at twenty. The album starts with the repetition one expects, but here it is on keyboards instead of marimba (which is still present), and while there is the use of harp what one notices immediately is the large use of violins which present a totally different backdrop to what has been used previously. Again the piano drops in and out with a few notes here and there, but overall there is a lightness as this swelling of sound combines with brass to create an overall sound which is larger than that on the other releases. Here Galloway is using more elements from a modern orchestra, as opposed to concentrating on just a few as he has in the past. The sound feels far more cinematic, as if we are under a huge sky in America, and one can easily imagine this being used as part of a film score. “Oblong” contains a great deal of melodic repetition and this takes the listener on a journey. The strings provide the backdrop for note interplay between marimba, piano and harp, with the delicate notes from the lower register standing out for their sustain against the staccato nature of the rest. This use of different instruments and different styles creates a real sense of drama, which is built upon throughout the piece to great effect. Again this is music to be lost inside, music which takes the listener far from reality.