DunkelpeK

DunkelpeK — Fire’s Hush (AKP, 2022)

While Fire’s Hush has its noisy points, the duo of Nava Dunkelman (percussion) and Jakob Pek (guitar) spend much of the album building stillness. On tracks like “Unknown Memory” and “Threshold,” Dunkelman’s feathery touches on percussion, whether bowed or delicately ringing, build the foundation. “Unknown Memory” is a relaxing zen haze, whereas “Threshold” lingers tensely.

Dunkelman operates with a gem cutter’s precision. Listen to the quick-handed “Anurakti,” a track built from small motions and generous blank space.

On the noisier side, the track “無” — I think the translation means “nothing” or possibly just “no” — shows off Dunkelman on drum kit, explosively breaking up a passage of rugged industrial grind. Pek’s guitar gets a showcase on “Lila,” a bouncy avant-garde hoedown combining jazzy rhythms and snippets of folky melody.

Finally, there’s “Ode to the Dream,” a dialogue showing off a wide range of percussive taps, chimes, and groans, with occasional blips of piano. It’s busy yet spacious — listen below or watch the abstract video of liquid digital distortion.