For Gyumri

Recorded during the sessions that yielded Hamasyan’s 2017 release *An Ancient Observer*, these five additional solo piano tracks form a statement in themselves. They can be intimate and restrained, sonically off-kilter, and serious in mood, ascending in complexity until we reach the concise virtuosic blastoff of “Self – Portrait” and the grandly unfolding arc of the finale, “Revolving – Prayer.” The touches of wordless vocalizing, tightly coiled cyclical rhythms, and fresh aesthetic choices make *For Gyumri* an absorbing and often surprising listen.

Named for his hometown in Armenia, Tigran Hamasyan's latest EP is a companion piece to last year's complex yet accessible An Ancient Observer.