...a hypnotic experience: There's a sense of harmony to Yoshinaga and Arney's movements, an obvious awareness of each other's presence in a way that seems choreographed but stems from a natural synchronicity.
Through their dedication to discovering new sounds and repertoire for percussion chamber ensembles, arx duo's Garrett Arney and Mari Yoshinaga have commissioned nearly 100 works from a diverse array of composers from around the world. Inspired by the numinous interweaving of sound and timbre between marimba and vibraphone in Peter Klatzow's "Ambient Resonances," they commissioned works from Juri Seo and Robert Honstein to further explore that dynamic. Here on their debut recording they highlight the sustain of the vibraphone with the low resonant tones of the rolled marimba, at times filling space with moving harmonies and dense melodies, and others, remaining still and contemplative.
"arx duo is one of the most impressive ensembles... Their musicianship, intelligence and superb performance is nothing but astounding..." - Stacie Haneline, Vesper Music Series
Ambient Resonances: Echoes of time and place | Peter Klatzow (1994)
1. I 3:01
2. II 6:56
Sonata For Marimba and Vibraphone | Juri Seo (2022)
3. I. Fire 9:40
4. II. Life 6:06
5. III. Water 6:01
Evergreen | Robert Honstein (2020)
6. I. Fading Light 5:26
7. II. Sleeping Land 4:03
8. III. Shortest Day 6:50
9. IV. Longest Night 6:56
10. V. Rosy-Fingered Dawn 5:59
arx duo is:
Garrett Arney - Marimba
Mari Yoshinaga - Vibraphone
Produced by Drew Schlegel & Garrett Arney
Recorded by Tom Stiles / Assistant Engineer: Drew Schlegel
at Jack Straw Cultural Center, Seattle, WA
Recorded on Aug 1-3, 2021 / March 9-11 2022
Mixed by Drew Schlegel, Philadelphia, PA
Mastered by Alex Santilli at Spice House Sound, Philadelphia, PA
Duo Photo by Scott Quade
Cover Design & Layout by John Bishop