Radu Malfatti, Klaus Filip

Since the early nineties, Vienna-based Radu Malfatti has been investigating the edges of ultraminimalism in both his composed and improvised work. On Imaoto, he is joined by empathetic explorer Klaus Filip to create an instant classic. Malfatti and Filip have performed a handful of duo concerts over the years, with the first in 2003. In 2006, they played a remarkable set in Maria Chavez's Houndstooth store in NYC, a very memorable show for the couple of dozen listeners in attendance as well as for the musicians themselves. In October 2008, they spent a day at Amann Studios and recorded the two pieces that make up Imaoto. The results are undeniably gorgeous, musical, and impeccably recorded. The ultraminimalist aesthetic of the music is echoed in Yuko Zama's sparse design.