An Album a Day #2026-37

As I was cleaning out my desk the other day, I pulled out from a deep and forgotten corner of a drawer an old wooden shaving box that had belonged to my late grandfather. When I opened it, I was slapped by the aroma of his aftershave, a scent I hadn’t smelled for years, and was instantly transported to a time in my young adult life when I lived with him for a few months; a time when I was struggling to find my footing in the world, and an experience that helped me understand my father in a new way.

Listing to Minimal, I had a similar experience. It transported me to a time sitting in my high school’s band hall, the smell of slide grease and spit in the air, and the moment when I was first struck by the beauty of mallet percussion. Something about the attack of the mallets on the bars evokes a visceral reaction in me that I can feel on the back of my neck. Minimal excited that feeling for the first time in a long time.

The music on Minimal is hypnotic and meditative. It’s similar in many ways to Erik Hall’s Solo Three, which I listened to a few days ago.¹ But where Solo Three is more about texture, Minimal is more about rhythm and harmony.

Minimal can be divided into four parts:

The first part is a suite of three songs called “Mallet Quartet.” These are highly enjoyable, especially the first part which features some unexpected and gorgeous modulations.

The second is a song called “Seven Eleven,” a 10-minute piece that is more rhythmically complex than “Mallet Quartet.” The time signature is 11/4 (it sounds like 6 + 5 to me) with 7-bar phrases. What the song lacks in melodic interest, it makes up for with its unusual rhythm and interesting harmonic progressions.

The third part is another three-song suite called “Avant, pendant, et pourtant,” which is French for “Before, during, and yet.” These might be my favorite songs on the record. They incorporate more sounds—droning, scraping, and bowing—and tell a more dynamic story. “Pendant” is especially captivating.

The final part is a 9-minute song called “Sunday.” It’s got a laid-back groove, a singable melody, and sounds like what a lazy afternoon in bed with a good book feels like.

I shouldn’t be surprised at how diverse and emotionally resonant mallet percussion music can be. I guess I’m not, really, I had just forgotten. Minimal is a testament to the power of sound, like smell, to trigger memories and emotions. I’ll definitely be checking out more Percussions de Strasbourg in the future.

Listen

What is “An Album a Day”?

Each day in 2026, I’m listening to an album that:

1. I’ve never heard before
2. Was released in the last six months (from the time of listening)