CD Short Take: Hayoung Lyou- The Myth of Katabasis

There are a few albums that have been sitting on or around my desk that I've been meaning to write about here. Some are close to 12 months old. But I still feel like writing a few words about them in hopes that it might motivate someone to check them out. This is one of them.

Hayoung Lyou

The Myth of Katabasis

(Endectomorph) hayounglyou.bandcamp.com/album/the-myth-of-katabasis

The New York-based label Endectomorph was the brainchild of saxophonist Kevin Sun, who began releasing music on the imprint 10 years ago. The Myth of Katabasis is the second album by Korean-born/New York-based pianist Hayoung Lyou, whose music feel equally familiar and engaging while delivering it with a style that feels rather original and intriguing. 

The album's title comes from classical mythology, referring to a trip to the underworld. In some ways, it is a concept album, using the mythological term as a metophor for the challenges we face each day, But the album's running order doesn't exactly stick to the theme in a linear way. The nine original compositions include three numbered solo improvisations titled "Descent," which appear in reverse chronological order and are spread out through the album. "Ascension," the finale of the suite, appears following part two.  At the same time, each individual track stands on its own without the need to source the thematic inspiration.

For most of the album, Lyou is joined by bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Steven Crammer. They play very active roles in the shape of the music, which often seems to blur the lines between written and improvised passages. Morgan often moves with the pianist, such as when he utilzes the upper register of his instrument to echo what she plays in her uppermost range of hers at the start of "Negotiation." On the other hand, Crammer often takes liberties with the placement of his snare hits, preferring to add tension rather than settle easily into a form. It helps the deepen the scope of a piece like "Windup" which feels like a small suite in itself. A few minutes into it, a quasi-ragtime interlude breaks into the moody piece, and Lyou redirects things towards a passage with the melodic qualities of a lost ballad.

"Introducing the Hero" and the three "Descent" pieces feature Lyou playing solo. "Descent I" closes the album and lasts longer than the other two combined, with single note lines in the left hand transferring the right hand and accelerating and developing into a richly detailed meditation that never flags in the drama or focus.

With any luck, Hayoung Lyou might have recorded a new album since this one was originally released. And hopefully she'll use a brighter color of ink for text if it appears on a dark background on the CD cover.