‘Muted Language’ is the debut album by established improviser Mark Sanders and rising young drummer Emil Karlsen. Recorded by Chris Sharkey in a single afternoon, the album displays a free flowing of musical language ranging from polyrhythmic dialogues to sonic explorations. With close placement to the drums, the listener perceives all overtones and subtle shifts in timbre. The result is an intimate listening experience and a drum duo album full of variety.

“I have been lucky enough to do gigs with both of these wonderful drummers, in duos and larger ensembles. I am very excited that they have come together to record a duo album. Chris Sharkey has done a wonderful job recording them, we are placed very near the drums and thus perceive all overtones and subtle shifts in timbre, including the swishing sounds emanating from manipulated cymbals. We hear Emil Karlsen’s kit on the left-hand side and Mark Sanders’ on the right. Their styles are individual but compliment each other beautifully. Each track showcases a wide range different areas from textural sustained sonics to polyrhythmic contrapuntal dialogues. Sometimes we hear sounds shift slowly from left to right and back again, whereas on other occasions we hear moment by moment interactions where fleeting sparks drift very quickly across the stereo field. The interplay is consistently wonderful and very musical. Emil and Mark have known each other for several years and comprehend each other’s playing very well. The selected material/vocabulary is carefully chosen, and the result is a fantastic drum duo album full of variety. The playing is virtuosic throughout, but never at the expense of musicality.” - Phil Durrant (December 2022), liner notes

"Remarkable exploratory dialogue of the sound and expressive possibilities of percussion, a jungle of signs and gestures where the listener can let loose his curiosity and his imagination." - Jean Michel Van Schouwburg