This sparse, contemplative recording is described as a summary of two recent Fabio Perletta works: Genkai and Ichinen. It also marks the end of a series of pieces developed in collaboration with Haruo Okada focused, according to the album’s notes “on notions of presence, limitation, contemplation, patience and humility.”
You need not be familiar with any of these other efforts to appreciate this live recording. 7456 unfolds slowly over its 26½ minutes. We get vignette after vignette of lovingly conceived, beautifully recorded sounds.
Pieces structured in this way sometimes feel like a walk in some imaginary forest. Their value is in the artist’s presentation of various sounds that together produce a kind of auditory tour.
What’s striking about this one – performed by Perletta on June 11, 2017 – is that it all hangs together so seamlessly. Despite the fact that it originates in two separate works, and that it incorporates stretches of low volume sound or outright silence, 7456 is a successful whole.
It’s also a gorgeous sounding album. Depending on the setting, you may find this requires a high-end set of headphones. Otherwise, you’re likely to miss its finer points.
Perletta’s hope is that the piece raises questions about perspective. More from the notes: “the music … exists in potentially infinite variations through its exposure to each listener’s unique memories, experiences, and perceptions. 7456. Live at Human Resources, Los Angeles thus asks the questions: is there and where is truth? Are artworks really finished? Do artworks which artists create belong to them?”
All big questions at a time when identity means so much, and absolute truth feels elusive. Perletta’s contribution to both conversations deserves a careful listen.