Erwan Keravec is one of the Scottish bagpipe masters, known for his collaboration with Mats Gustaffson in the duo Luft. Keeper of tradition but also innovator, he is bold in his intertwining of minimalism with the sound of the bagpipe.
Terry Riley and his album “In C” represented the first author revisited by the Breton musician; it then fell to Philip Glass the role of author to be plundered and reinvented for the excellent “8 Sonneurs Pour Philip Glass”.
“Whitewater” is an adventurous work written by Keravec himself: three long compositions that favor experimentation at the expense of accessibility and pleasantness. Strident and dense, the Breton's long sonic odysseys were conceived for the Mind Travels project, a collection of albums inspired by Francis Meslet's photos; a work that, more than contemplative, sounds immersive, often bold and bordering on emotional suggestion.
It's an extreme and sometimes disturbing trance that Erwan Keravec stages right from the first notes of “Increase The Flow Rate”, eighteen minutes that take inspiration from the charm of the cold waters of the cover photo to generate a storm, with a whirlwind of innovative and unconventional sounds. Arabesque notes keep the tension of “Until The Swirl Appears” high, and among the few pauses of the strident sound of the bagpipe one almost seems to glimpse the flight of a bird looking for a place where it can rest its tired limbs: the percussive textures disappear for an expansion of notes similar to the sound of an enchanting and bewitching siren.
Delicate and analgesic, the last track “Leeshore” remains consistent with a musical project free of compromises and clichés. “Whitewater” is undoubtedly a difficult work for a large part of the public, but incredibly rich in pregnant and bold musical ideas: a cathartic but never superfluous sound experience.
07/27/2026
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
