Less Is Sound Vol. 4

The fourth installment of the Less is Sound series aims to (re)frame the sonic character of a primeval stretch of the Danube floodplain located at the periphery of Bratislava. It is part archive, part reimagination of a site-specific sonic gathering that took place on August 2, 2025, at one of the few remaining pieces of uncultivated nature around Slovakia's capital.

The sonic tapestry of the album is woven through diverse entries, each offering a unique lens through which to perceive the woodland's hidden layers:

Dorota Matejová explores the woodland’s materiality using historical traversos and various wooden flutes, leading a participatory performance where the stones of the Danube become an improvised ensemble. Ondrej Zajac and Petr Vrba continue with bare minimalism, where trumpet, acoustic guitar, and electronics dissolve into the local soundscape, honoring the site’s own autonomous voice.

Jiří Suchánek and Lénok both dive beneath the surface. While Lénok metaphorically goes under the duff, Suchánek digs his hands and mics deep, utilizing live underground field recordings to reveal and play with the hidden world of the common earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris). Lénok's twisted piece acts as an upside-down flip, observing our strange world from the earthworm's perspective.

Meanwhile, Bolka navigates the space through electronic abstraction, turning old tramps’ songs inside out to evoke the ghosts of local campfire culture. Closing off the journey is Husam Abed, who brings a dreamy resonance to the floodplain with the oud, bridging themes of belonging to the land, sorrow, and desire through an evocative string dialogue.