Too Small To Be A Plain

Florabelle welcomes its first reissue–the debut album of cellist, composer, and sound artist Lia Kohl, Too Small to be a Plain. Originally released on cassette last year by Shinkoyo/Artist Pool, this vinyl edition features completely remastered audio by Taylor Deupree and expanded artwork courtesy of the artist herself. The exceptional approach Lia exhibits so confidently on The Ceiling Reposes, her acclaimed LP from earlier this year, was already in sharp focus here; it’s a privilege to collaborate with her on this rerelease
What makes Too Small to be a Plain so successful are its inviting juxtapositions. Here is a series of compositions grounded in improvisations, thoughtfully culled and layered with an openhearted embrace of happy accidents. Just as her dexterity as a cellist is evident on “‘Join me, everybody’,” equally so is her interest in the din outside her window. Elsewhere on “Second Picture of the Same Weather Pattern,” richly resonant acoustic figures share space with the sparkler static of radio transmissions. The playfulness of the title of “Moon Bean,”–the album’s glowing centerpiece–suggests that very glow could be coming from something beyond our skies or, conversely, held within our hand
Despite Lia having performed and recorded all of the work herself, the album is guided by her years of collaboration with dozens of others and the final product is clearly the work of someone who listens with curiosity and empathy. Listen closely and those same qualities may arise in you, too, reframing the space you occupy. If you’re new to Lia’s work, Too Small to be a Plain is an ideal starting point. (And you might be more aware of her than you realize–in addition to releasing collaborations as part of ZRL and with Macie Stewart, she’s also a contributor to albums by Makaya McCraven, claire rousay, Circuit des Yeux, and Steve Hauschildt, among others.) If you’re familiar with The Ceiling Reposes, the cabinet of curiosities on display there grounds this music, too– here with an arguably more modest or tender sensibility. Regardless of how you come to this album–you’re here! That’s the important thing. Do stay awhile and listen