Design By Humans
Published On: Mon, Apr 22nd, 2019

Chris Lastovicka: Fortune Has Turned (Remixed)

Chris Lastovicka
Fortune Has Turned (Remixed)
(Ahari Press)

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Chris Lastovicka’s Fortune Has Turned (Remixed) is a stunning short album of evocative classical pieces.

“The 7th Chapter of Job,” opens, a low swirl of strings, with higher violins and “oohs” floating above the slowly plotting din. It does rise in intensity slightly, but mainly we stay locked in this scary brew for the song’s duration. Quite the moody piece to begin the five.

“Abraxas,” starts with Lastovicka’s tentative piano increasing to some simple sped-up arpeggios, as horns announce themselves, and then the strings sway in. This one builds, dips and shifts through lots of darker modalities, keeping the listener on edge throughout; there are a few times in the 12-plus minutes where instruments cut-out, Lastovicka’s piano regains prominence again, and we get a wholly new return of strings and horns. But his piano really holds the whole thing together.

Mournful horns begin “The Tender Ones,” then we are into strings and slightly bright piano jumping. Those horns stick around though creating a counter you can’t quite discern. We weave through solo piano, and horns again, with this second movement of the piece (the best in my opinion) throughout all of Fortune Has Turned (Remixed).

Again we get Lastovicka’s piano as the beginning lead instrument on the last song, “The End of Tyranny.” A heart-wrenching violin, and once again those horns, float in and bray over the mix. I would have preferred just piano and violin, as I thought this was where we were going and for me, Lastovicka’s piano is really what’s best on Fortune Has Turned (Remixed).

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Chris Lastovicka: Fortune Has Turned (Remixed)