Richard Hunter


The Act of Being Free in One Act

Richard Hunter is a self-indulgent artist. People who are used to my reviews may assume he makes weird avant-garde noise, but his release The Act of Being Free in One Act is a collection of 14 solo harmonica recordings! Completely different from anything I've reviewed before, it is the only full-length album of works for unaccompanied harmonica. My words cannot capture what this album means to me as I listen to it; it's more than a musical recording, it's a philosophical statement. And it's an interesting one at that too: Hunter composed this album over a period of four years in Vermont, and he claims it "has in it much of the feeling of spiritual and temporal space that characterises Vermont." I can't say I agree with that description, but the music here is excellent, showcasing Hunter's talents as well as his musical education. The amount of respect I have for someone who can make such a statement using non-mainstream (read: underrated) instrument in such a radical way is tremendous. This is really something every music lover should check out. You haven't heard anything like it!


Music ram-blings || Ram Samudrala || me@ram.org