Rheo is a genre-bending collection of percussion-based contemporary chamber/art music. Utilizing his musical expertise on a plethora of percussion instruments and his familiarity with numerous musical traditions, Patrick Graham has partnered with several colleagues and the On Ensemble to create 13 original works that blend world music traditions with contemporary improvisation and composition.  Accompanied here by Ben Grossman (vielle a roué), Kaoru Watanabe and 
Nicholas Williams (flutes), and Debashis Sinha (toy accordion), Graham draws the bulk of his compositional inspiration from India, Japan and the Middle East. Not bound by strict musical partitions, however, Graham frequently juxtaposes traditions and instruments to create an intriguing sound. One example is the opening track, “King Worm,” which combines an Indian sounding drone with Japanese taiko drum patterns. Another example is “Strata,” which sets the electronic sound of the vielle à roue (hurdy-gurdy) against a bodhran groove. This tendency to fuse musical styles gives his compositions a familiarity but from a new vantage point. Percussion is clearly at the center of every track on Rheo, and Graham really delivers on every track. His compositional approaches, groove playing and improvisation make this an excellent percussion recording.
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Patrick Graham’s unique vocabulary, impeccable technique and perfect aesthetic choices make him one of my favorite artists.  RHEO is an amazing work in all regards.  These short clips do not do justice to the depth of this recording.  This is an album that is expansive in scope drawing inspiration from every corner of the globe.  The range of timbres that Patrick achieves with his collaborators draws the listener into a vast world of beautiful soundscapes.  I highly recommend this album for anybody with a sense of adventure.
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This is one of the most enjoyable albums I've come across in a long time.  The music goes to all sorts of interesting places from feel-good grooves to discordant noise, and Patrick finds the perfect balance of each.  The whole album kept me interested.  

After listening straight through 4 or 5 times, I find myself coming back to tracks 1, 2, and 8.  

Track 1, "King Worm", uses a wide range of Patrick's percussion with satisfying breaks and interesting rhythms in 3.  I love the way it's recorded - the drums sound big and full and you can hear the smaller sounds clearly.  A mid-song break-down builds to a rocking, Doudou N'daye-esque ending.  It's delightful!

Track 2, "Strata", with the dreamy vielle a roue and a rich drone in the background is a perfect follow-up to the album's upbeat beginning.

Track 8 "Liminality" is a shorter piece based around a flute looping through simple variations.  A melodica drone and clapping join Patrick's frame drum to build to a wonderfully groovy end that reminds me of a Reich "Clapping Music" remix.

This is a *fantastic* album!
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What a masterful expression of space, sound, and soul. As a musician who uses sound in therapy, I want you to know that the RHEO project could be marketed as medicine - a sonic tonic.  I hear new fathoms each time I re-visit a track.  Kudos to you and the other collaborators for this beautiful interplay of discipline and spontaneity.
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