Palmer was born somewhere, lived elsewhere and was academically trained... It says here. But his reticence isn't paralleled by the music, which directly and often painfully expressive. 'Encounter' pits Western harpsichord (Jane Chapman) against Eastern percussion, notably tabla (Pete Lockett), fusing them through an electronic part extravagant in its effects and soundstaging. 'Hinayana' is for Piet Van Bockstal's solo oboe, with florid ornamentation, pitchbending and multiphonics. But in 'Epitaph' for cello and tape, dedicated to a friend who committed suicide by jumping in front of a train, it was a mistake to draw the tape part so obviously from train noises, as well as female voice and cello. A raw and exciting disc.

Andy Hamilton, The Wire, January 2002