Ryan Choi is a composer, improviser and multi-instrumentalist from Honolulu, Hawaii. After a years-long hiatus from music, he presents his latest work, 'Three Dancers' is based on Pablo Picasso's painting, 'Les Trois Danseuses', although it evolved conceptually over the last fifteen years. Here Choi employs baritone ukulele, percussion and electronics. That's right, ukulele, Hawaii's most popular instrument, but you won't be hearing any "Aloha Oe" hula tunes on this recording. The music is avant-garde, and I'm willing to be you never heard the uke played like this! This EP consists of three pieces- "Preparations I and IV," "Apollo at Eros," and "Three Dancers". Choi's compositions draw as much from literature and visual arts as they do from musical tradition (he designed the CD cover illustration - "Aquarian", if that's any indication) and the music may be as much sound installation as it is conceptual audio.

The first thing likely to be noticed is that Choi's compositions are very busy. I don't know how much multi-tracking was done for the ukulele, but I have a hard time believing that it wasn't overdubbed as there is just so much going on. There are influences here that stem from traditional Asian and African playing; it's very rhythmic, snd the tunings are obviously not Western. The little melody that you may discern is a hybrid of jazz and avant-garde classical with an Eastern touch. This is a guy who really knows his way around the ukulele too, evoking things out of the instrument I never considered possible. Choi utilizes a combination of strum, finger picks, slides, and bends (sometimes seemingly simultaneous) in his improvisations. Some segments seem to have a familiarity in form while others are just completely abstract, but there is a cohesiveness to it all. In that cohesiveness though, there is a similarity throughout that may have the casual listener thinking, "this all just sounds the same". I assure you it's not. "Preparations I and IV" seem to have a more traditional bent to them, in both the hard strum technique and individual notes. There is no other rhythmic component than the uke, which is generally sporadic. "Apollon at Eros" brings in the hand percussion (some kind of flat sounding drum) to anchor the piece while the ukulele stretches out exploring a variety of different motifs. As far as improvisation goes, it's absolutely marvelous and never stumbles, laying out at times while the percussion remains in effect to gather new energy and momentum. "Three Dancers" is the most abstract of all pieces, and this is the only one where I can hear the (subtle) electronics in play. It almost sounds backwards at times, with a certain rhythmic quailty that isn't quite obvious. Any concession to melodic form, even in the abstract, is absent here for the most part as Choi explores terrain hitherto unknown.

These pieces play remarkably quickly for about 20 minutes worth of music, likely because the playing has a lot of rapid motion. While certainly not for everyone, those discriminating listeners who enjoy avant-garde music that is purposefully conceived and carried out should find 'Three Dancers' fascinating.