Nearly. Nearly a song, somewhat familiar. Nearly comfortable, almost fulfilling. The melody stays ever-open, indefinite, and then the song departs, breaks, never arrives. It’s not surrender, it’s a game, open to the listener. The avant-garde replaced musical statements with this new desire to offer something to the ear: the sustained notes of the “Sarabanda” never lodging in the periphery of memory, the dissolving of pitch into percussion, the repetition of musical cells, the loops, the ever different superimposed patterns, the changing textures and the suspension of climax… but for how long? Almost a Song is still a duo. And not only between guitar and piano. This in spite of the electroacoustic ramifications and of the instruments being – without losing the acoustic strength of their gestures- sometimes nearly swallowed by their own sound.

Joana Sá and Luís José Martins formed a duo in 2000 dedicated to the interpretation of contemporary music. They have developed numerous projects together amongst which the collective POWERTRIO with harpist Eduardo Raón. Luís José Martins is a member of the group Deolinda and Joana Sá has developed mostly solo work, namely Through this Looking Glass.

Artistic pathways converging at this game of pleasure and freedom which is Almost a Song.

Guilherme Proença

All compositions by Joana Sá & Luís José Martins

Recorded at Escola de Música do Conservatório Nacional de Lisboa, August 2012 by Sérgio Milhano | Mixed and mastered by Eduardo Raon
Produced by Almost a Song | Executive prodution by Trem Azul & Shhpuma | Illustration by Rita Sá | Design by Travassos