Over the Afsluitdijk, into the world: Arnold from Makkum, Zea, taps into many beautiful things on his new international album | review ★★★★☆

Sometimes Arnold de Boer makes entire albums in Frisian, sometimes he even keeps them instrumental. The language of instruction at this new one is English again.

The world also enters into this record in other respects. De Boer took over the singing Hyperobjects in his own attic studio and sent it to the Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson and the Polish guitarist Hubert Kostkiewicz, who added their own free figures. On Our Hearts In The Sun Japanese experimental musicians OLOLOLOP and Arakawa Atsushi participate.

Clarinetist Xavier Charles, from France, and cellist Harald Austbø, from Flanders, appear on more songs. Burial Salt is based on a worrying letter from friends from Ghana, where De Boer often travels.

Going home again

But in What The World Needs Now Is Understanding (prophetic words, just like the album title) he is coming home again. Fifteen minutes of subtle repetitions on the strings, in the vein of his instrumental album Minimal Guitar. It arose during the sessions for art project Beacon Afsluitdijk , intended to bridge the journey over that dike. De Boer actually comes from Makkum.

Stylistically, Zea, who is also the frontman of the famous and equally internationally operating band The Ex under his own name, also taps into different worlds. Sample experiment, improvisation, silent songs with or without his slightly toneless but very characteristic vocals: it’s all there, very beautiful and very recognizable as Zea.

JACOB HAAGSMA