Open Space
Fie Schouten (NL) clarinets
Vincent Courtois (FR) violoncello
Sofia Borges (PT/DE) drums
Pierre Baux (FR) spoken word
Relative Pitch Records 1255, March 27, 2026
“Open Space is more than a performance; it is an invitation to reconsider how we inhabit space, listen to sound, and engage with words. For those willing to meet its intellectual rigor with curiosity and generosity, the experience is transformative, poetic, and unforgettable.” Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move | review en français – Open Space: indispensable
“Wenn echt schräge, moderne Literatur auf eine passionierte Bassklarinettistin trifft, die sich auf neuzeitliche Musik spezialisiert hat, kommt dieses Meisterwerk dabei heraus….” Elke Thamm
“quite simply, this is a conceptual and sonic masterpiece of the modern avant-garde – a highly integrated, sprawling exploration of improvisation and electroacoustics, and a fantastic recitation of Espèces d’espaces, Georges Perec’s 1974 treatise of isolation, from the insular boundary of the human apparatus, to the stark vastness of the cosmos.. the ecosystem the players build here is simply astonishing, and it is Borges in particular who shines here, creating a mesmerizing hyper-precise framework of abstract pulses and extended technique.. just incredible! Khagan Aslanov
“The music drifts along. It drifts behind the words. It drifts ahead of the words. At times it becomes more urgent, less tangible, more muffled, rougher, porous.” Martin Hufner, Neue Musik Zeitung
“frei, aber keineswegs strukturlos und in der Auswahl und Zuordnung der Instrumente ebenso durchdacht-vertrackt wie anarchisch. Das reicht von diversen – und immer anders klingenden – Klarinetten bis zum dramatischen GlöckchenKlingeln und vermag den Hörer immer wieder neu zu packen.” WESTZEIT, Karsten Zimalla
“L’improvisation délimite ainsi un milieu autonome inscrit dans le vivant du moment qui met un écrit, par définition figé, en vibration. De ce croisement complexe où le dit se révèle, naît une forme transdisciplinaire, intellectuelle et sensible : une projection sonore et une projection mentale : une espèce d’espace entre deux zones.” Nicolas Dourlhès, Citizen Jazz
“Open Space is a compelling avant-garde jazz and improvised music release. Recorded with a focus on textural depth and spontaneous dialogue, the album explores the sonic possibilities of acoustic instruments within a minimalist, atmospheric framework. Bob Osborne, Different Noises
The (improvised) music is inspired (and structured) by the iconic book of Georges Perec from 1974 titled Espèces d’espaces (Species of spaces; Träume von Räumen; Ruimten Rondom).
We designed a musical story following the chronology and the emotional evolution of the book.
Instrumental version, in 4tet with Frank Gratkowski at Bimhuis, Amsterdam: