The Lisbon-based electro-acoustic duo I/O of German-born cellist Ulrich Mitzlaff and prolific Portuguese modular synth and sampler player (and visual artist) Carlos Santos (known for his ongoing work with Creative Sources label head, violist-violinist Ernsesto Rodriguez) was formed in 1998 and focused on free improvisation and real-time composition. The I/O duo released only one album, Studies on Color Field Modulation (Creative Sources, 2021). Refractions on Colour Hues is a logical consequence of the duo album, but now I/O is a trio with fellow Portuguese Ana Maria Santos on soprano, bass clarinet, and wordless vocals (the soloist of the Orquestra de Câmara Portuguesa, Portuguese Chamber Orchestra, OCP).
Refractions on Colour Hues, like Studies on Color Field Modulation, were recorded at the OCP Headquarters in Algés/Oeiras (near Lisbon) in February 2024, and expand the minimalist, electroacoustic aesthetic of I/O. The music moves between contemporary, minimalist chamber music to reductionist, almost static soundscapes, when I/O explore extended breathing, bowing, and percussive techniques, and stretch the timbral spectrum of their instruments with assorted objects.
I/O operates as a sonic lab. Maria Santos, Santos, and Mitzlaff explore new, resonating, and challenging timbres. At the same time, they also research textural possibilities in almost static dimensions of time and space, in a patient and methodical deep listening dynamics. As if I/O focuses only on the resonant echoes of the sounds, the transparent refractions of their color hues.
I/O (Ana Maria Santos/Carlos Santos/Ulrich Mitzlaff) – Refractions on Colour Hues (Self-Released, 2025)
