(Vital Weekly) The last one is a duo from Colombia, perhaps not the country springing to mind for improvised music. Violeta García plays the cello, and Ricardo Arias takes the credit for the bass balloon kit; that certainly had my interest, as I don't know many balloon players; Judy Dunaway springs to mind. The five pieces were recorded in a single day last year, and it's an exciting collaboration. How does the balloon hold up as an instrument, part of improvised music? Surprisingly well. Arias rubs it with his fingers, giving a similar sound to some of the cello. Both use the dynamics of their respective instruments very well, going from very low to very high, from elegant, prolonged sounds to the nervous hecticness, which many people associate with free improvisation music. This is a bit of a strange release. The opening, 'Argucias – Allegro', is everything I expected this to be: the hectic, nervous sounds, the interaction, the high-pitched sounds. 'Artiman?as - Allegro ma non-tanto' and 'Ardides - Molto adagio – Andante' (all pieces use these classical terms to indicate if pieces are lively, introspective or whatever) are extensions of the opening piece, but the final two pieces 'Patran?as - Alla marcia, assai vivace' and 'Subterfugios - Allegro appassionato' are tranquil and nothing much seems to happen. I don't know what to make of this. An attractive diversification of what they have done so far? Maybe I heard enough 'quiet' music and don't need more? Perhaps I also think the cello and the bass balloon concept is somewhat limited. The first side was indeed nice enough and also quantitatively enough. - Frans De Waard

(Gajoob) GAJOOB Ricardo Arias and Violeta García’s collaborative work, AÑAGAZAS, ESTRATAGEMAS. JUGARRETAS Y TRETAS is a 2024 cassette release that captures the intricate dance of two avant-garde musicians engaging in a dialogue that is equal parts subtle and profound. Each track feels like a room full of gestures where the artists coax and cajole their instruments to reveal deeply expressive and often surprising sounds. - Bryan Baker

(Wire) Ricardo Arias & Violeta Garcia Anagazas, Estatagemas, Jugarreta Y Tretas eh? MC Amazing duo set, recorded in Bogota, Colombia, in March 2020. Garcia plays cello and Arias plays bass balloon. Garcia’s cello playing has plenty of freak register exploration going on, and it’s almost shocking how much sound Arias is able to get from his inflated bladder. You’d think it could be a sort of gimmicky thing to do, but there’s some real majesty going on here. Sounds totally great and it’s a kind of moral lesson as well – when life gives you lemons, play them. - Byron Coley

(Raised By Cassettes) This begins with a sharpness, a squeaking really, which somewhat reminds me of birds but can also remind me of the sound of someone rubbing a balloon. A pounding comes in now, like the dribbling of a basketball. It grows faster, more intense. Everything begins twisting and turning and I'm reminded of the old chairs we used to have in the chorus room in middle school. Everything shifting just feels like that chaos when class was letting out. But there is also something primal in here, as if running through the woods in pursuit of prey. Within all of this sound are also strings, like an orchestra is happening during all of this as well. But this also makes it feel as if the whole thing is turning into a balloon bending orchestra. A quieter, sliding now as it feels like we're slowly dragging something metal across concrete. Some static frequency is coming through. The strings slowly cut through and it's that dribbling sound again with heavy breathing. Some of the sounds coming through now feel like Charlie Brown's parents but that squeaking and dribbling persist. Loud screeches like a bomb being dropped and it all gets much quieter. As we shift into a new song now, it feels as if the sound is somewhere between percussion and just rustling through things in an open room. Some squeaks come through like doors being opened. Cymbals can be heard and the squeaking comes in as there is also a deeper growling sound, likely being made by a cello or bass. It grows chaotic now, all the sounds seemingly at war with one another. It can feel like we are in slow motion now, unwinding in ways. Everything slows down, deeper in the bass and it feels like we've gone underground. Onto the flip side now and it sounds as if strings are breaking as sounds like hitting hard surfaces are also around. We're into a loud and hectic sound now, squeaking like heard on the previous side but it also sounds like someone is within all of this sound trying to catch their breath. A slow release like the whistle of a tea kettle. The sharpness can feel like a squeegee going across a dry surface, but not quite nails on the chalkboard. The strings really come in now with some trill which can sound like animal sounds as well. It feels like the grinding and then also expanding behind it. Everything begins to fall into this back and forth where it feels like a saw is cutting and there is just a lot of movement with things being hit- not quite footsteps, but a lot of banging on things none the less. A slow expanding now starts up a new sound. Somewhat like a bee buzzing but at the same time it can sound like we're circling the drain. Whispers can be heard and it begins to feel frantic, like escape is a must. There is a large amount of that expansion sound and then it feels almost like we're going into some purring as well. Insects and then a sound like a bamboo stick tapping on the ground. Tapping and the balloon stretching end at the same time. Disjointed strings come in creating a skramz type of symphony. They go from higher pitched sounds to lower bass strums. There is some scraping in this bass as well, as it feels like we're just having a bluegrass party but with different instruments than, say, a fiddle or banjo. Through a steady run now, the strings are working together. Lighter strings come through, one note at a time, as they are echoed by the bass strings. When we reach the end it just feels as if time has run out. - Joshua Macala