Music Reviews

Fuchs, Wolfgang – “Six” (Rastascan)

outlier   4/10/2005   CD, Jazz

Free sextet of Fuchs-bcl+ss, Djill-tr, Perkis-elec, Robair-perc, Shiurba-gtr and MATTHEW SPERRY (1968-2003)-bs honor Sperry’s life with 6 remarkable soundpieces. (1,2) are sound factory tours that begin at floor level and build up to a collective form at a time-enhanced perspective. (3) takes a more symphonic path in coagulating the sounds while (4,5) are of a free jazz form and texture. (6) returns to free-form soundstorm with wind chatter interludes. The soundpieces stand on their own but knowing this is the document with which Sperry’s friends honor him gives it a very special place in free music.
3w: Sperry’s Spirit Resurrected
– Outlier

Tiner and Baggetta, Kris and Mike – “There Just As You Look For It” (pfMENTUM)

outlier   4/10/2005   CD, Jazz

Acoustic guitar and trumpet post-jazz possibilities are explored by two young jazz improvisers of west and east coasts respectively. Baggetta’s style is of Spanish influence with a Derek Bailey sound of chimes and tweaks, giving Tiner’s chamber trumpet sound a percussive fabric to play into. Space is the canvas, timing is relative. The full timbre and resonance of tones suspend in time, then evaporate into the surrounding wake of sound. Evening is the mood and all is calm as these young lions of free music eloquently pursue the masters’ path.
3w: Acoustic Magical Post-Jazz

Hay, Emily – “Like Minds” (pfMENTUM)

outlier   4/10/2005   CD, Jazz

A collection of various projects undertaken over the decade by the phenomenal Emily Hay, experimental vocalist-flutist from SoCal. Pieces range from surging winds and street smart rhythms in experiment (1,5,7,11) to free vocals with percussion and/or electronics (6,8,9,10) to song structures of Dadamah-like magic (3,12) to post-classical virtuoso conversations (2,3). The lyrical phrasing and instrumentation keep the experimentation in the musical dimension. Hay’s vocals are about hearing what the voice can do as an instrument. Infusion of unrestrained vocal energy into the trio/quartet creations thru evocative utterances over and in between flute expressions bring you intimately into her soundspace, moving beyond words to true emotive convergence between artist and listener as the sounds are shared.
3w: Emotive Evocative Expression
– Outlier

EXIAS-J electric conception – “Balance of Chaos” (PSF)

outlier   4/10/2005   CD, Jazz

Free music exploration of the organic guitar sound with smart electronics in support. Enters the same sonic space as Wired but less orchestral. Cavernous, echoes with deep resonance and some eastern psych meditations (less tribal than Tohosara and less wall of sound than Tsurubami- last two tracks excepted). Flowing sonic energy that reaches climax in an AMM style with 2 gtr-pn/synth-elec-bs-dr. Guitar tones cast the sonic beams by which the unit is led, the path is true and free.
3w:
– Outlier

Morris, Butch – “Homeing” (Sound Aspects)

outlier   4/10/2005   12-inch, Jazz

Dense tapestry of orchestral sounds that displays wondrous collective cohesion in a multi-directional, multi-dimensional work. Improvised symphonic group exploration led by the master vision of Morris. Cacophony never results from the mass layering of sounds that rise from each wave. 12 musicians that sound like a full orchestra with musicianship that rivals any classical artists. Each movement flows into the next seamlessly, making the sonic voyage an inspiring flight over what would seem an exhausting path of musical destinations. Recorded live in Berlin 1987, this work is an undeniable masterpiece.
3w: STRAVINSKY WOULD DIG
– Outlier

Milton, Anthony – “Sirens” (Last Visible Dog)

outlier   4/10/2005   A Library, CD

New Zealand acoustic psych folk with an air and wood sound, occasional guitar in distress strumming and solos. Slightly angered, spacey Direen and Morley influenced songs with a serious folk mentality. Occasional early Dead C blownout acoustic sound with clever lo-fi drums that give the vocals an edge of tension accented by steady, sometimes furious strum. Traveling rhythms that have phasing qualities and evolving structures but the center of gravity is on a steady path to psych folk truth.
3w: NZ PSYCH FOLK
– Outlier

Sandoz Lab Technicians – “Live at MacDougal Art Gallery” (C.PSI.P)

outlier   4/10/2005   A Library, CD

Tim Cornelius, James Kirk, and Nathan Thompson ascend to the heights of drone with a 45m free music piece that ranges from a subway station fuge to flowing rivers of strings and winds in electrified vapor. Sounds billow outward like clouds, surging in a collective waveform flux. Dense textures that move up to cacophony’s edge, stepping back to sense the void of where the sounds have vacated. Similar to Sakada or Organum, always exploring the essence of music in the NOW.
3w: Free Music Installation
– Outlier

Flow Dynamics — ?Live In The Nation? — [Invada Records] — (33 rpm)

Hunter Gatherer   4/9/2005   12-inch, Hip Hop

This 12″ single contains two nearly perfect songs recorded by Australia’s Flow Dynamics. It’s almost as if someone hooked me up to electrodes and used bio-feedback to carefully calibrate a song to my musical taste (or lack thereof).

You could drop these tracks anywhere short of a nursing home and all available floor space will be filled with people dancing. In fact, I heard that they played this for the pope to confirm that he was dead.
Flow Dynamics is Dave McKinney, who gave up a promising career in marin biology to explore Brazilian drumming and co-found Rhibosome.

These tracks are blessed with a disco-funk beat from the 70’s, samples, flute, horn stabs, turntablism, big-sound production, and a singer named Sunny Amorganda who sounds just like James Brown.

They have a full-length coming out later in 2005 that I am looking forward to hearing.

–Hunter Gatherer

J.C. Davis — ?A New Day!? — [Cali-Tex] — (33 rpm)

Hunter Gatherer   4/9/2005   12-inch, Soul

36 years ago, tenor sax player J.C. Davis and his band went into the Mus-I-Col Studio to record a few tracks. The results of this session have been re-mastered by Josh Davis (aka DJ Shadow, no relation) and released on his Cali-Tex Records.

J.C. Davis would be completely obscure except for the fact that he led James Brown’s Famous Flames for a few years. Four of the tracks on this album were released as 45s, which are highly sought after and can be had for a few hundred dollars. Only 1,500 of these were pressed, so this album will become a rarity as well ‘I’m sure.

The music is not as funky or outrageous as one might expect from someone who led James Brown‘s band. There’s plenty of funk and ‘I’m sure we’ll be hearing the breakbeats from these tracks on future recordings that we add. The band sounds relaxed and disciplined at the same time. (Maybe they are relieved that they aren’t going to get fined for coming in late or missing a note, like JB used to do.) Shelly, notable for its unselfconscious singing, and A New Day (is Here at Last) are the slowest tracks.

The recording quality is amazing. I wouldn’t have known that this was recorded 36 years ago unless it said it on the back of the album. The drums sound fat and Mr. Davis‘s sax in particular sounds full.

–Hunter Gatherer

Time Machine — ?Grime Machine? — [Glow-in-the-Dark] — (33 rpm)

Hunter Gatherer   4/9/2005   12-inch, Hip Hop

Released in 2/2005 on their own label, Glow In The Dark Records, this is Time Machine‘s latest offering. It is comprised of three songs in various forms. Time Machine is DJ Mekalek, Jaysonic, and Comel. They work closely with producer Stoerok. Based in LA now, they formed in Washington DC and lived a while in Rhode Island.

The three songs have a different sound:

A1: Mind In A Spin (clean) – Heaviest of the three about how the streets are a particularly unpleasant place to be. Features a cool sample of How Can You by Third World, which gives this track a reggae feel.

A2: Caught On Tape (clean) – A cautionary rap warning us that there are cameras about. Various people famous for being on tape like Tommy and Pamela, Paris Hilton, etc. are name checked. The ‘808? referred to is a police code for disturbance of the peace, not the Roland TR-808 synthesizer.

A3: Matter Transporter (clean) – A playful rap about how cool it would be to have a matter transporter so that they could beam themselves to their next show rather than having to drive by van. Moving is very stressful and it appears that the trauma of moving from DC to RI to LA has left a mark on their psyches. This track wouldn’t sound out of place on De La Soul‘s 3 Feet High and Rising.

The other tracks are dirty, instrumental, or a capella versions of one the tracks above.

Also check out the cool cover by LA artist D.W. Frydendall. Let’s get him to do an artist T-shirt.

N.B.: After track A4 there is a :12 snippet of another song before the A side runs out. Don’t let this trip you up during your back announce.

–Hunter Gatherer