With Hlaholika, Adrian Democ offers a collection of chamber pieces unified by a focus on stillness and the unhurried unfolding of sound. Rather than chasing after overt drama, Democ’s writing reveals itself through the subtle layering of sonorities and stark, melodic lines, letting each instrument’s character shine. Apartment House brings sensitivity and patience to these recordings, allowing the music’s quiet radiance to emerge organically, rather than by force.
The album opens with “Ma fin est mon commencement,” setting the tone through minimal means: phrases seem to hover in suspension, each gesture delicately interwoven between clarinet, piano, and viola. The title track, a quintet composed as part of Another Timbre’s “quarantine commissions,” distills Democ’s pragmatic approach - the instrumentation responds directly to the available ensemble, yet never feels arbitrary. Across the album, the melodic material remains restrained and the progression measured, creating a sense of unity among the three new works. The earlier “Lešenie k zahĺbeniu,” performed by students from Brno, fits naturally into the album’s understated architecture, offering glimpses of Democ’s earliest voice and highlighting the continuity in his approach over time.
Throughout Hlaholika, contrasts are held in careful balance. Extended, glowing chords dissolve into silence; the tactile grain of strings and the candor of winds and piano evoke both distance and intimacy. The closing duo for violin and double bass, with its gentle oscillations, lingers on after the album ends, quietly reframing the listening experience and confirming Democ’s affinity for clarity and space. What emerges is less an album courting grand gestures and more a testament to attentive craftsmanship and the expressive possibilities of modest means. The collection serves as a subtle but significant expansion of Democ’s catalogue, deepening his established relationship with Apartment House and reinforcing the sense of community already at the heart of so many Another Timbre releases.
