Squares on both sides, project of Munich and Berlin based multi-instrumentalist Daniel Buerkner, arranges silent guitars, pianos, chimes and melodicas to create cautious and intimate compositions. On indication, his third album to date, Buerkner’s singing forms clear superior structures that are fragmented by subtle electronics and field recordings from a temple market in Kyoto. Closeness and reduction, contrasted with playful elements remain the focus of indication, which features guest appearances by Yasuhiko Fukuzono (aka aus).

Squares on both sides is the project of Daniel Buerkner, Munich and
Berlin based multi-instrumentalist. In 2000, Buerkner started
recording instrumental tracks on a little tape recorder at a foresty
bavarian home. In home recordings in Munich and Berlin during the
following years, leaving the four track recorder behind, these
experiments turned into tight compositions held together by
simplistic guitars, silent arrangements and singing on the albums
croquet and dunaj.

Having worked mainly on soundtracks and collaborative work for the
last years, squares on both sides is now presenting his third album,
indication, as a return to his minimalist early works and at the same
time as an opening to melodic and welcoming song-structures.
Reduced guitars, pianos, chimes and melodicas lay the cautiously
performed foundations of these intimate songs. Simplistic
fragmenting electronics and field recordings from a temple market in
Kyoto add to the carefully composed collages. An overall structure is
given by the presence of Buerkner’s voice which has developed from
a whispering instrument amongst others to a clear and open gesture.
In a subtle fashion, these gestures show what might be the core of
squares on both sides’ recent work: closeness and reduction,
contrasted with playful elements.

Within the album, there’s a bewildering balance between this
closeness and the distance of abstraction. Programmatic tracks like
the opener pripyat are confronted with joyous melodies and a playful
approach, which can be found in songs like author and telegraphy.
Telegraphy, which has been joined and mixed by the Japanese
electronic artist Yasuhiko Fukuzono (aka aus), stands out from the
album’s tightness as a relieving last song. Following a quite
conceptual yet humorous approach towards music, these lively and
fleet-footed songs are framed by the most difficult and enigmatic
tracks of the album, and thus form merely an element amongst
others of a superior structure.

RIYL: Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Nathan Michel, Gastr Del Sol, Mark Hollis,
The Books.