One of the most unexpected and pleasant surprises of the year so far is a stunning new collaboration between a pair of sound artists from separate continents – Dalot (Maria Papadomanolaki), originally from Greece and currently based in London, and Sound Awakener (Nhung Nguyen) from Hanoi, Vietnam. Imaginatively conceived and elegantly packaged, Little Things presents a pastiche of sonic artifacts and divergent personal narratives transfigured into wondrous inner landscapes that become wholly immersive for the listener.
It starts from ground-level interactions, field recordings of soundwalks in parks, on the streets, hydrophones in rivers and contact microphones on bridges and delicately moves to the ethereal…The album creates a journey for the listener; a journey of changes between the two artists’ lives; the changes in seasons, life-events, ordinary moments and creative processes that affected the perspectives and emotional states within which this album was produced. In ‘Little Things’ the two artists offer an adventurous exploration of internal landscapes through sound and memory, the light and shadow encountered within. – Fluid Audio
An approach that balances meticulous attention to detail and delicate filigree with dense layering and wide-eyed ebullience is immediately evident in the lush and captivating “Strangers in the City” which opens the album. Papadomanolaki and Nguyen go on to weave one enigmatic soundscape after another, each offering its own particular mood and palette of colors, each studded with its own mosaic of minutiae that serves the whole. On tracks like “Inside”, the intricate clockworks are exposed in a captivating way while on pieces like “Everyday Happiness” it is the overall atmosphere of nostalgic melancholia which prevails. Despite the geographic and temporal distance between them, these two artists managed to craft these pieces in a most organic and compelling way. It is a fruitful partnership that offers a bounty for the discerning listener to savor.
The luxurious bespoke CD edition of Little Things comes lined inside & outside with Italian paper from Florence along with a vintage glass slide (circa. 1890-1950), vintage botanical print, dried flower, and scent all packaged in hand cut envelopes. While this edition is sold out on the Fluid Audio store, there are some copies available from Dalot on her Bandcamp at this writing.
Links: Fluid Audio Store | Bandcamp | Dalot | Sound Awakener
Stationary Travels 
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Wonderful. Thank you!
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