Amok & OK emerged from the friendship and sonic dynamism of clarinetist Amy Zuidema and multi-instrumentalist Bubba Crumrine. Their compositions embrace unapologetic, raw emotion and alchemize it into otherworldly sonic terrains through improvisation, colliding ethereal ambience

with the intensity of noise to transform each performance into a singular, cathartic experience. The ethos of Amok & OK is rooted in queer identity, curating safe inclusive spaces, and breaking free from the imprints thrust upon us.

This self-titled debut album showcases the unique and genre-bending approaches to

composition and improvisation of each artist. But perhaps more importantly, these recordings exhibit a deep listening happening between Zuidema and Crumrine. There is a cohesion of mood and trajectory present here that only comes from perceptive and active listening between musicians. Each sonic element folds neatly around the others, as if the artists were instructed on how to place them through intently listening to the other’s musical gestures and direction.

The overall effect is one of balance and dialogue. The voices that comprise these recordings, whether produced by the reed, circuit or human vocal cord, whirl around one another in a marriage of precise orchestration and free-spirited improvisation guided by two sets ofprofoundly open ears.