HurdAudio Rotation: Every Second of Every Minute of Every Hour

AMM: Laminal. 1996. Matchless Recordings: MRCD31.

The Aarhus Sequences
December 16, 1969. Denmark
Cornelius Cardew, Chrisopher Hobbs, Lou Gare, Keith Rowe, Eddie Prevost

The Great Hall
February 20, 1982. London, England
John Tilbury, Keith Rowe, Eddie Prevost

Contextual
May 3, 1994. New York, New York
John Tilbury, Keith Rowe, Eddie Prevost

Over this sampling of three full concerts taken from three different decades one can hear the relative stasis and evolution of the AMM sound. The collective restraint that allows the individual instruments to sublimate themselves into a singular aural presence. The extended durations that pull the mind toward a trance state. The technology used to record and produce this music shifts subtly beneath the singular intention that informs each of these performances. Taking these three discs in one sitting drives home the sense of continuity that informs AMM practice. While this music is not without its forceful moments, for the most part it is the restraint that allows things to breathe over the stretch of hours, years and decades.

Dave Rempis/Tim Daisy: Back to the Circle. 2004. Okka Disk: ODL10008.

Dave Rempis: saxophones
Tim Daisy: drums

Listening to this set of sonic dialogues between these creative musicians on the heels of AMM is a clear reminder that improvisation is many things. Dave Rempis and Tim Daisy draw upon a fabric of jazz linguistics and free improvisation on this mix of compositions from each as individuals and a collaborative track. Their impressive musicality is enhanced by a willingness to lay back and let the other fill the foreground. At times one can hear the performers actively listening before bringing their own sound into the mix. Their sense of time gives this music its innate momentum as they play within and against the pulse. "Alexandria" offers up a clear form that allows Dave Rempis to develop from a breathy lyricism toward a more aggressive sound that sweeps the ears along its crescendo before settling back toward its natural coda. Building along a beautiful melody of sustained tones along the way and exemplifying the manner each of the pieces in this set develops and grows along its own inner logic. The unison shapes crafted between single notes and cymbals on the opening of "Huff" before moving toward an organic exploration of independence between players offers another glimpse into the intuitive forms that make up these intelligent compositions. This is a music of textural changes that could easily sustain beyond the forty minutes offered here.

Michael Vlatkovich Quartet: Alivebuquerque. 2003. pfMentum: PFMCD045.

Christopher Garcia: drums, percussion
Jonathan Golove: electric cello
David Mott: baritone saxophone
Michael Vlatkovich: trombone, percussion

Early on with Alivebuquerque it is abundantly clear just how "on" this quartet is as this unusual instrumentation plumbs a rare musical intuition that shows off both the compositional material and the improvisation of the moment in an ideal light. The electric cello in particular cuts through this percussion plus low brass and reed texture with razor sharp precision. Deftly allowing its amplification to alternate between blending within the overall sound and carving out moments of serious contrast. But it is the subtle pull and drag at the collective sense of time that makes this set so engaging for the full hour. That and the ability to hang spontaneous detail along its aurally poetic lines.

Ballister Trauma

Ballister @ The Hideout, Chicago, IL
Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Dave Rempis: alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone
Fred Lonberg-Holm: cello, electronics
Paal Nilssen-Love: drums, percussion

From the first attack from Paal Nilssen-Love's stick landing on membrane Ballister lurched forward with a willingness to plunge over any improvisational cliff. With a music that is far from subtle - but full of subtlety - this trio mines a sonic territory built upon three slabs of noise emanating from equal partners. The jagged beauty of their sound pouring down like a firestorm during an active eruption.

Behind the thrill of sonic fortissimo lurks the contours of the independent parts. The surprising moments of quiet introspection that creep into the foreground or the delicious moments when one layer drops out, allowing for a duo to pool around the edges of the aggressive energy. The confidence these performers have in one another as collaborators and partners in angry dialogue offering ample evidence that their responsive listening habits have fused together as a band and over years of playing together within larger formations.

Dave Rempis played with a lot of heat. Often concluding pieces with a searing tone from a surprising register on the baritone. Or tracing soft contours that sounded nearly as processed as Fred Lonberg-Holm's pedal heavy cello setup. While Nilssen-Love displayed how the percussive vocabulary on display in last week's solo set plays out within a trio format. The end result was a satisfying blast of noise therapy.

HurdAudio Rotation: Confluxed with Monumental Disappointment

Available Jelly: Monuments. 1994. Ramboy: 07.

Eric Boeren: tumpet, alto horn
Jimmy Sernesky: trumpet
Michael Moore: alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Tobias Delius: tenor saxophone
Gregg Moore: trombone, tuba, mandolin, electric bass
Alexei Levin: piano, accordion, organ
Eric Calmes: bass, bass guitar
Michael Vatcher: percussion

A sonic vehicle of the Dutch jazz scene and an approach to large ensemble jazz writing with enormous appeal for these ears. This sound is a staple in the HurdAudio rotation. Music that darts off at odd angles around a solidly melodic sensibility. Textures that bend toward whimsy and frolic or languid and brooding. Just underneath this sound is an astonishing grasp of jazz history combined with a willingness to draw from any era.

The Rempis Percussion Quartet: The Disappointment of Parsley. 2009. Not Two Records: MW 811-2.

Dave Rempis: alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
Tim Daisy: percussion
Frank Rosaly: percussion
Anton Hatwich: bass

An improvising quartet as a sonic dialogue between creative equals. However, three quarters of this particular ensemble is rhythm section. The resulting sound is like an "extended trio" with the two drum kits weaving together into a texture that crackles with a little extra energy. The percussive elements never feel layered or doubled. Just expanded. Hatwich adds a distinct personality to the mix with his bass while Dave Rempis takes full advantage of this solid and extremely responsive sound that surrounds him. The Disappointment of Parsley ends up being a solid and thoroughly enjoyable experience that balances almost perfectly between the forces of jazz history and the forward propulsion of modern improvisation.

Wally Shoup/Toshi Makihara/Brent Arnold: Confluxus. 2004. Leo Records: 399.

Wally Shoup: alto saxophone
Toshi Makihara: drums
Brent Arnold: cello

An improvising trio delving into a space of pure sonic retreat. The considerable ability of each individual held intensely in check as they work a taut line of responsiveness along this prolonged, collaborative endeavor. The tension between lines of sounding materials drawn tighter through the sparseness of the texture. Toshi Makihara occasionally erupts. Wally Shoup occasionally takes flight. Brent Arnold will occasionally plumb the expanses of what a cello can sound like. But in the end this is the work of a true trio. The instrumental characters sublimated into an energy that is the sound. An extreme consideration between egos making up this inspired release.