Carlos Ferreira – "Isolationism"
The Start of a New Era
The new Carlos Ferreira album, "Isolationism", is a musical treat I want to share with you. The album marks the dawn of a new era for the experimental guitarist.
We stayed in contact after my interview with Carlos in 2020. I was thrilled to hear the news about his next step in his musical career a few weeks ago. He wrote:
"'Isolationism'1 is a transitional album, the start of a new phase of what interests me. It uses space in a new way, not only as a ground for all of the development and decay of the resonances to be heard but also as its own expressive arrangement."
The album lives from its textures, the gentle transitions between the eight tracks and the clearly recognizable common thread. The themes range from relaxed moments to claustrophobic images, which Carlos skilfully incorporates here and there.
Playfulness, reverb and contrasts
Guitar tones embellished with reverb, pleasant clarinet playing, piano and Carlos' favourite ingredients, resonance, frequency, and sound make the record a cinematic walk that takes you through phases of lightness, thoughtfulness, hope, and sadness as you listen. The boundaries between light and darkness are fluid, and what happens next is decided in the blink of an eye.
He recorded the album in just two weeks. The Brazilian enyoyed the support of Echo Ho, Lucas Protti and Manami Kakudo, among others. Their parts were so skilfully woven into the production that their subtle traces were almost blurred.
Spherical sounds and field recordings
Carlos has always loved listening and absorbing his surroundings. He encourages his listeners to do the same with "Isolationism". In addition to the bells and spherical sounds, the delicate field recordings are a particular highlight for me. You will only notice some of them if you listen cautiously through your headphones.
Carlos Ferreira is an experimental guitarist and composer. He says he uses his works to explore the connections between space, time, and memory. You can learn more about this exceptional talent and his compositions here on my page.