Ten years have passed since I first came across Fabienne’s debut recording in the trio, titled Glitterwoods, which I further reviewed. That was one of my favourites back in time and I kept my eye on her, but nothing came out after. I later reached the label to hear that she became fully involved in musical education. I kept enjoying the debut recording then and hoping that one day she would make her comeback. Imagine my surprise when I heard from Fab, out of a sudden 10 years later, at the end of the year, through the ever-present social media, that she came back with her second recording, Thrive.
21
Feb
Annie Chen – Guardians (released on 23rd of February, 2024) Label: JZ Music
I have never been to the Arcadia National Park, which, according to the preface, triggered the vocalist’s feelings and brought a spark that fired this music. So, to understand better and connect deeper I looked at the pictures before I even looked at the titles or listened to the music. The beauty of the place instantly awakened my memories of all the beauty of nature I was lucky to encounter. And then, I was ready to listen.
24
Apr
Arve Henriksen – The Timeless Nowhere released on 1st of November 2019 Label: Rune Grammofon RLP3210 (4LP/2CD)
Latest Box-set of Early Arve Henriksen works on Rune Grammofon label will be a real treat for all of those who, like myself, admire the Art of the Norwegian trumpeter. It contains 42 tracks spread into 4 albums: Towards Language – Live at Punkt, Acousmograph, Captured Under Mountainsides, Cryosphere from which only the first had been previously available as a stream. Other than that, it is the music which had never being heard before, until now when trumpeter himself revisited Rune’s archive and put all the music into the specific order.
Towards Language – Live at Punkt is a live version of the studio album of the same title which is interesting approach given the way Arve works. I know the original and I am equally a fan of the Live. Let’s start from that as I had lots of time to think about it even before this wonderful boxset hit my doors. I was listening to this a lot, as I previously did to the studio version. After all I wasn’t sure what is the original and what is after? The sense of Live had really being lost to me as both versions are brilliant, and it doesn’t really matter to me at the end which one evolved from which. Life is a transformation process, so is the art.
Acousmograph is completely different cosmos. It is a study of the borders of the instrument and in the same time self-exploring boundaries of his own artistic soul. The music which plays in his head, little studies of form and patterns as well as articulations, dubbed and electronically transformed to the level it doesn’t sound any more like a trumpet. Inspired by the Minimal Music like Cage or contemporary composers like Penderecki, Glass or Reich. I can trace momentums which later came to shape on the following studio albums, Take for example trumpet lines from the Prelude unfolding score, it came to his final shape on Cartography as an opening track Poverty And Its Opposite. Choral fragment with an Organ bardon and accompaniment on the same track comes out the transformation as an arrangement one can listen to on Arve’s Places Of Worship, the Lament. There is many moments like that which are going to become precious discoveries for the careful listeners.
Captured Under Mountainsides takes us into the territory of unlimited space, which sound and phrasing of Arve’s trumpet is calling for. Foggy and airy soundscapes spread between the mountains, volleys and meadows. With their unstrained sense of freedom. There is plenty of references to the sonic universe of Places of Worship period again. Tracks like Alhambra, Portal, Adhan, which are emerging from trumpeter’s collaboration with Jan Bang, Eivind Aarset and Eric Honore period dating around 2013.
Cryosphere, in similar fashion reworks and remixes material from concerts from first decade of the 2000 and clearly echoing material reissued on later, 2008 ECM Cartography session, with the clearest example being an opening Origin, which materialised itself into sampled version as Migration on the mentioned above album.
This is a proper feast of the Gods for die for Henriksen’s fans.
11
Apr
Go: Organic Orchestra & Brooklyn Raga Massive – Ragmala. A Garland of Ragas (released on 18th of Octobert 2019) Label: Meta Records. Double CD.
Adam Rudolph’s Ragmala project had been already hailed the 21th Century Bitches Brew and I could not agree more with that statement. For sure it breaks boundaries and sets the new level for the communication in the same way as Miles’, now Milestone Classic. Additionally, it merges an African and Caribbean root into the blend and of course the main motive: The Indian Raga. As could be expected from Rudolph’s who already keeps breaking boundaries and synthetize different cultures and music during the over 40 years taking the journey of his musical life. Master percussionist brings two Orchestras to this project: his own child he created and runs till today: Go: Organic Orchestra & NY based Brooklyn Raga Massive. Many artists taking part of this project are the members of both already, not even looking further.
What interests me most here in this Modern Raga Explosion is the way it expresses itself. The Big picture reflects what we do see in life today, where strict nationalism is pushed back and new cultural layer for cultivating social mentality of the big nations that come from the East, both philosophically and culturally. East had been such an influence from Medieval days and took a huge part in shaping rough and primitive catholic rhetoric, which still pollutes so many minds today. This had been passed to both Americas by Spaniards and there we are.
The way Raga takes over and assimilates polyrhythmic structures of the African folk present here in the entire rhythmic architecture strikes me the most. This is a pure beauty of the symbiose. Symbiose which can be understood in many ways. For example, take American Indian ensemble which is practicing Carnatic music in the same way as westerners are practicing Yoga. It is not something they’ve grown, but the truth that they could sense in it, the feeling of rightness – made them practitioners. Where those are looking for the roots of their humanity, American Indian musicians are rediscovering what is a part of their inner-selves already and re-developing the tradition into XXI century incarnation. What I am saying here is a discovery which came from my interview with Rez Abbasi and Rudresh Mahanthappa after their Kinsmen project live, I faced over a decade back and which changed me as well.
Equally the tradition of the brass orchestration, which takes from Sun Ra’s, Kahil El-Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble and AEOC or AACM movement in general is here. It is not dominated or degraded. The language is a live organism, and so is the music- being the language itself. Voices of the humans and instruments are appearing in the space in the natural way whenever the song or unison comes as most natural feeling. The border created by an Indian and African drumming is a pure fantasy land, imagine yourself the Taj Mahal blended with a Temple of Karnak to get the picture.
It was right what Bennie Maupin said calling it: Future Orchestra. Open your ears and start the journey yourself as I do not have enough space here to guide you through all the unexpected paths, neither I would like to steal the pleasure of discovering the new land from you.
31
Mar
Brot & Sterne – Tales of Wanderlust released on 6th of October 2019 Label: Traumton_indigo cd 178492
It took two years for B&S to come back with their second recording together but God Almighty! It was so worth the wait for an Austrian Star Trio. If their first already stormed my sensitivity and all senses the second came with a sense of challenge. One could feel that the way it was set, the relaxation factor of the session, the methodology of developing compositions together, it all went into another stratosphere.
The first what strikes me is the amount of air in this music. Is almost floating like a fog. Levitating like a ghost with its feet swinging a foot over the mother Earth. I only read later that in fact the session took 3 days to record and it happened in isolated rural area in French Burgundy inside of the village barn. That would explain to me the phenomenally spacious sound of the percussion instruments in space as well is a nice, long and floaty reverb of the trumpet, as it is heard on Pferdekopfnebel, the second track.
Secondly, what follows is an incredible pace that music has. On the same track above, the dialogue between the hung and trumpet, which moves further into the hurdy – gurdy slow opening motive decorated with shimmering percusionallia glittery, opens in space with almost sacral unction and adoration. With nothing being pushed. All interaction comes in such a relaxed way and the dynamic opens up with incredibly way and gentle touch.
The KSF coming after is a Meisterstück. Gentle Hurdy – Gurdy opening slow-burns the melody sounding almost like the Oud accompanied by sensitive percussional plankton. Straight, long trumpet notes are sketching the structure for this tissue, with hang carrying on the harmony, which imperceptibly and smoothly moves into the rhythmic pattern, before one has time to get out of its spell. Dancy and folkloristic theme which carries the melody, now handled by the trumpet, it has irresistible sense of gentleness.
Whichever track one likes to listen to, it brings it to the same sense of intimacy and incredible submerge in each other’s voice. This is the session which came from the moment of the immaculate privacy and simplicity. From the reduction of the entire world to sensational “here & now” feeling. Something which happens so rarely now, in our overloaded with technology reality, where we are passing each other without noticing craving for company at the same time.
Here, the company is fully appreciated and welcomed with arms wide open. More than that it is a company which respects each other, gives space and opens its ears, eyes and souls to embrace the process of creation. And for that alone all the ego fuel gets burned to feed the sacrum. This is more than Music, this is the Act of Giving. Pure Offertory which only the music coming from opened minds and hearts can bring. Draw from it as much as you can. It doesn’t get better than that.
To Buy:
CDs: Traumton Recordstore
Downloads: Traumton Downloadshop
24
Mar
Escape Argot – You. Me. Them. (released on October 18th release) Label: Traumton
The second recording from Swiss unusual Escape Argot Trio, sporting Piano, Drums and Saxophones, comes out with an even more dynamic approach which already impressed me when I got their debut album to play. Leader and drummer Christoph Steiner teams up with his conservatory colleague, pianist Florian Favre, who’s own Piano Trio belongs to my favourites. The line-up is completed with multi-reeds player Christoph Grab, a mature musician with three decades of long probation and impressive lists of collaborators behind him, from both mainstream and improvising stables.
From their first recording I still do remember an incredible bond and vital interplay which resulted in developing such a complex composition, there is no difference here.
The opening Remains of Lightness marked with rhythmically chopped chords, in a typical for Favre manner, builds the frame on which Steiner can wave his lyrical canvas. The piano then leads in hymnal, nicely decayed notes into shimmery corners of the picture, where composer adds just a little rhythmic counterpoint giving saxophonist all the space he likes. Grab’s way of articulating here reminds me a lot another great sax master, German Heinz Sauer, with his fragile lyricism and airy approach.
Allowing shows phenomenal interplay when the melody is built on a shift of rhythm and counterpoint. Such a piece could not be executed so brilliantly as it is without amazing skills in the band and careful listening to each other. All the nuances which are laying on the border of the piano and drums conversation. On that structure rough and pretty hardcore saxophone blows with stepping up figurative patterns are coming to almost sculptural visualisation. This is honestly my favourite track on that recording and it possesses an enormous drive.
Plutimikation, dandy folk tune starts with imaginative, almost cinematique sense of picture from Ennio Morricone’s visions. But it has in it some childlike defiance, especially in Florian’s Act, which stays bound with the musical flow but in the same time runs into some dissonant swirls. At the climax the score goes through the complex transformation from the melody to the rhythm, to gently fade into swinging saxophone outro.
Another favourite of mine on that session is a short piece titled Part Of the Solution. It is again very theatrical miniature with imaginative, intellectual twist. Starts with Tango steps, nicely counted by the piano chops to move to quick and furtive rhythm changing patterns, which continue dancing with piano.
Never Enough Not Enough begins with synthetized chords like from the synth-pop arrangement to move into heavy piano chops, supported by meaty drumming to build the platform on which Grab can again carry both, the melody and pace with his sax. Prepared piano adds to the drama and creates intriguing unisons. This is another super torpedo piece ending with massive dynamic crescendo.
This session shows the trio at its excellence and leaves you hungry for more. It is very modern language building on classical piano modernism tradition but also appealing to post rock fans thanks to their versatility and ability to dialogue with surrounding energy.
18
Mar
Matthias Boguth – Milk Wood (released on 30th of August 2019) Label: Traumton, INDIGO 165792
Such a debut comes rarely, It is innovative on many fields too, as well as brave and mature. The band and vocalists are interpreting here the poetry of the Irish writer Dylan Thomas who used to broadcast his works in its days as an open series, entitled Under the Milk Wood, to which the recording title directly refers. As one who is not familiar with his outcome, I found the recording to be very touching and imprinting strong images into listeners imagination. That confirms both, the value of the poetry itself and depths of the interpretations which Boguth develops in the front of the listeners ears like a skilled merchant trading precious fabric.
Of course, it is all the band who cares that delicate tissue with an incredible sensitivity and deep emotional understanding, but that comes without saying. All of them despite the young age have a lot behind already. Frischkorn, the pianist in Eva Klesse Quartett as well, is especially important here as a co-builder of the mood, with his unique romanticism and ability to lay the notes like a stair for the words walking out of the vocalist’s month. Deller, another youngster evolving from the Leipzig jazz movement also left his marks on many projects and has already well-established reputation of the versatile and imaginative sideman. Drummer Phillip Scholz, originating from Dresden but polishing his skills in the same Leipzig pot, I remember from collaboration with an eccentric clarinetists Rudi Mahall as well as congenial pianist Pablo Held.
What touches in this tastefully played back and arranged spectacle most is an incredibly wide range of feelings. Every text comes as an interesting challenge, touching universal truths about life, love and hanging around. Despite of lyrics being declaimed poems written in 50’s, they didn’t sound out of fashion for even a single moment. The emotional makeover that band and the singer brought to it gave them entirely new life, shining, glowing and sparkling all the time.
An opening Intro sets the mood and introduces the drama with Boguth’s rich and sonorous baritone. It brings the image of the coastal sleepy town waking from a moonless night.
Following The Draper blossoms with a sublimely sung lines accompanied by impressionistic piano like straight from the Cabinet of the Dr. Calligari. The theme floats nicely on the thick texture weaved under the piano lines by bassist sensitive bowing.
Whose name was Tom coming next grows into regular jazz ballad with nice chord progression counterpointing complicated figurative phrasing which Matthias employed into his interpretation. Here the skills span from scatt to mono-declamation and the rhythm of the poem keeps flirting with the one that the section brings.
What seas did you see strikes like The Bad Plus with massive energy culminated into the piano chops riding on the solid drum framework. Vocals brings contradictory moods which ones are sliding on the racing on runaway trio’s rave, other times during impressionistic piano interludes such as Satie, this comes to the hallucinogenic and introvert figures shaped with the words in a almost architectural sketch-esque precision.
Each of them brings a challenge, therefore there are still eight undiscovered territories left untouched by myself, waiting for your imaginative power to be conquered. Enjoy every step and be sure that you walk barefoot.
You can BUY this music here:
04
Mar
Lothar Ohlmeier, Rudi Fischerlehner, Isambard Khroustaliov – Hypertide over Kiribati_ (released on 6th of September 2019) Label: non applicable 044
Here we got some unusual recording. For few reasons. The first is that we have an output from three improvising musicians which had been previously collaborating before and even performing together, but never made a recording as a trio.
Again, a Pacific Atoll Kiribati, Paradise holidays hunters’ destination is real too and so is the danger of completely flooding it, by the fact that our human vandalism, exploration and lack of common sense causing the Polar Ice to melt brings the hyper high tide, which soon will make Little Britain even smaller too.
This is not the first time when artists are covering the subject which is most important and equally completely ignored by scummy politicians and so-called leaders. Recently I came across quite a few projects building on the awareness of that.
This set of musical landscapes comes as a tetraptych of seriously disturbing sonic images. An opening, over 20 minutes piece titled: A simulation of god as a hypermassive security construct at the end of the world starts with some high pitch sonic wave on which the clarinet lines are sketching the story, supported by multitasked percussive framework dealing equally with the space-carrying duty of the piece as well as with its basement, shall I say at that point the Abyss either. What images do you see it really depends on your sensitivity and the power of your own imagination? One is for sure; the message is cold and bright and scratching your brain like a blunt razor. The image of the destruction might be pretty itself but the post reality to deal with is far from that.
Second image called Speed rush cut up shamanic meat delirium is flooding your brain with different sort of images and influences. It brings a lot of sounds which can be recognised as an organic, some are synthetized sounds bringing everything into the very congested tissue, slowly turning into the pulp, with too many cross feedbacks and none of the real reference point. It is intriguing and particularly involving following the clarinet. It sorts of guides listeners through the crowd of happenings, partially disintegrated with its lack of the cultural background. When it finally switches into the silent mood it, kind of like, brings to you your own inner solitude to face it. To some degree it is a symbolic way to show the sense of being lost as today generations are with their lack of gravity in the real world and living surrogate lives inside of a virtual space. Believe me that 15 minutes is a long time to think about it.
Omni lobster robotics coming after is probably the most impressionistic peace here with an electronically scythed space holding conversation with the real wind instrument. The background sounds are reminding me of Japanese electronic arcades games with their rollups of sounds polluting your privacy. Perhaps by their visual reference to waste being advertised as a gain.
Closing title, F-wake, is like a swordfish word alone, Its continuous with sinking your mind into the pulp full of ideocracy, created by gazers of synths. With the wind instrument trying to find the plot to set up a conversation and exchange the ideas, it is very symbolic, like the inner wisdom trying to inspire you to continue searching for new horizons.
You can BUY this music here:
07
Nov
Frode Haltli – Border Woods With Emilia Amper, Eric Raude and Hakon Stene (released on 6th of September 2019) Label: HUBRO 2613
I am honestly happy to see a new recording coming from Frode, since his last year Avant Folk, as he is an artist whose approach challenged me. I am even more happy to see that be a collaboration with another unusual instrumentalist and folk musician, Emilia Amper, Swedish gold playing Key Harp (Nyckelharpa), rare instrument to hear today. Being a big fan of her Bis recordings I did welcome that one with arms wide open. Here the folk group had been reduced from Tented to Quartet, with two percussionists, Erik Raude and Hakon Stene completing the line-up. Border Woods was commissioned piece to the Osa Festival 2015 at Voss, Norway and performed originally by the very same band, so this recording has been already rooted deeply in those musicians’ minds.
Using two percussionists, with extended range of instruments, including those to be played with mallets like marimba, Haltli gets himself very specific texture to complete the unisons performed on harp and accordion. Opening Wind Through Aspen Leaves shows that perfectly by laying a shimmering canvas in the background enriched with the euphonic brass decays. It makes excellent tapestry for the resonating harp strings.
Mostamägg Polska coming after sounds familiar to my Polish soul as it recons the folk spirit of the Northern part of the country and it has a typical construction of the song with its repetitive motives and choruses. I was surprised not to hear Emilia singing. This is the longest track lasting over 15 minutes which is carried all the way down an instrumental part with both harp and accordion singing in unison, wrapped in a gentle percussion in the first part and then with the solo variations of the melody being continued with dissonant harp’s rubatos and Haltli’s chord progressions dialoguing with each other to come to the finale in perfect harmony.
Wood and Stone is nice conversation in rhythm carried by both drummers using their own invention to present sonic universe possible to be created with using those two materials.
Most gentle and poetic part comes with Taneli’s Lament. Here both concerting instruments are reaching the scale of integration which makes it almost impossible to say which one is playing on top when they merge into unison. The theme is gentle and lyrical and utterly charming. This is one of two best tracks according to my heartbeat.
The second is Quietly the Language Dies, which closes the session. It sounds different being played on instruments tuned to quarter-tones, with some Arabic scales incorporated into Frodes instrument. It certainly creates completely new imaginary world of sounds with Orient influence dancing with Nordic folk tune. The constant bardon in the background is served by percussionists playing both on wine glasses which had been also tuned accordingly.
The same happens in Valkola Schottis, where an opening melody is played on glasses and carried on in the fashion of the organ partiture but reduced into the pocket scale. The same motive comes after from both soloists and is carried by them with breaking variations to open finally into joyous folk tune sounding more like it had been played on violin than harp during an ecstatic culmination. Long story short – another phenomenal recording to sway your Soul whenever you need that.
03
Nov
Henrik Olsson – Hand of Benediction EPK (released on 12th of July 2019) Label: Barefoot Records
Swedish guitarist and composer Henrik Olsson is a new discovery to me. Living and working in Denmark, he is an active player on the experimental part of Copenhagen’s music scene. His technique and style are very personal, and he can be heard in various groups, including his own Penumbra Ensemble, which he made his debut recording with, or seriously experimental and radical EHM trio I already reviewed.
This regular guitar trio is completed by bassist Jeppe Skovbakke and drummer Rune Lohse, with two guest appearances by Julie Kjær – one of the shining stars of the Fire!Orchestra and mighty young Lionesses of all kinds of Wind instruments herself and Kristian Tangvik, an equally creative and active Tuba player, also a part of the Barefoot Records label, which is a unique conglomerate of artists taking full control over the music they are making and would like to maintain and bring to the market on their own terms.
Opening Aventurine, which sounds like nothing else you’ve heard from a guitar gives a good sense of adventure that listening to Olsson’s music brings. Short intro shows a lot of skill. As it goes further the trio develops in more natural way with the clear lead of the guitar and accompanying rhythm section. N.H.F.T.P.H.O.B which starts in conventional and melodic way quickly turns into guitarist’s tour de force. The piece carries a lot of humour due to a very formal melody structure contradicted by the electronically pimped tissue of the guitar rave, to end up again with the polite, almost predictable figures like pleating on a skirt.
Shocking method restores lost hair is an example of more challenging and experimental approach mixing samples of the broadcast with the guitar dialoguing with them in the way it sounds like jumping between the stations once tuning the old radio. Hence the parts bringing order are automatically twisted into part of the broadcast itself.
Collect in a bowl, let the afflicted person drink is a rocking horse, literally. Primus alike psychedelic sounds with changing tempo in the bass groove and rubato drumming are co- creating 3-dimensional structures with multi-layered guitar rides additionally textured inspiringally by quick changes of the fingering.
Hilarious moments, my 2nd favourite here continuous a bit in a similar spirit getting however to the point that layers become incredibly congested and entire tissue starts sounding almost micro-tonal. As pieces are short, they come out like a little gem, properly cut and grinded to show the best of it.
Let’s finish with the pieces with the quests involved then. The Voynich manuscript with flautist starts almost like Debussy’s Faun’s Afternoon, picturesque and warm with the wind lines overlapped with the clarinet, but this idyll breaks in the middle and turns into percussive culmination which yet breaks again into guitar invocation ending up unexpectedly, Such a title commits, but it also gives lots of freedom.
Black Tourmaline opens with Tuba intro which sets nice lyrical theme and lines which Julie’s flute repeats and expands over entire frequency giving a path on which Olsson can now slide any direction he likes, with closely following him section. It is a nice touch to add to the trio concept.
Similar contrast as ones that Ennio Morricone used to employ in his soundtracks and it not only worked for him but educated an entire generation with a new sonic eclecticism enriching the existing language. Here they are doing the same on their own terms to a certain degree, but we are a few decades further, so the borders do not look the same anymore.
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