May 2003
Richard Barrett and Paul Obermayer have been dismantling the boundaries between improvisation and composition for some 16 years now... Full of dark undertones...it’s both humorous and disturbing at once, a gripping combination... As soon as the 45-minute masterpiece that is ULTIMATUM begins to unfold, the listener is transported into a sonic world that could come from another galaxy. Superbly crafted and incredibly inventive, ULTIMATUM holds the attention with ease. It’s music that has the formal rightness of a late Beethoven quartet...in every respect a great piece of music.