Proton Pump

Proton Pump by Akira Sakata & Chikamorachi with Masahiko Satoh.
Bandcamp Link: Proton Pump

Chikamorachi is the bass and drum combo of Darin Gray and Chris Corsano. They usually include a guest or two on each album. Reed player Akira Sakata is one of their more frequent collaborators. He is a Japanese woodwind player who is probably best known in the West for his appearance as a guest saxophonist on Last Exit’s “The Noise of Trouble” album.

I wasn’t familiar with keyboardist Masahiko Sato, but he brings the Cecil Taylor-esque multi handed polyphonies to keep up with way above the speed limit playing of Corsano, Gray, and Sakata. Interestingly, I also hadn’t remembered that Sakata played clarinet. For someone primarily known as a Sax player, he plays a pretty mean clarinet.

This is Energetic “Free Jazz”, with some Bebop-ish runs and the odd Jazz/Blues lick. It will get you to work faster than you usually drive.

#TodaysCommuteSoundtrack #Chikamorachi #DarinGray #ChrisCorsano #AkiraSakata #MasahikoSatoh

Radiant Imprints

Radiant Imprints by James Brandon Lewis and Chad Taylor.
Label Website: Radiant Imprints

While I’ve recently listened to a few Sax/Drum duos by Binker and Moses, the record this reminds me the most of isn’t one of theirs, but, “Another Kind of Groove”, by Kahil El’Zabar’s Ritual trio. Not just because of Mr Taylor’s use of Mbira (or Thumb Piano) as an instrument on a couple tracks, but also because Mr Lewis is surprisingly lyrical and melodic in his playing, as Billy Bang is on the violin on the Ritual Trio album. (Though, I do especially like the sound of the really low pitched Mbira that is deployed on some of the tracks.) Another point of comparison might be the Kahil El’Zabar and David Murray’s duo album, “Golden Sea”. Like Mr El’Zabars music, this is wonderfully atmospheric, groove based Jazz. Not easy listening, but a pleasure to listen to.

#JamesBrandonLewis #ChadTaylor #RadiantImprints #TodaysCommuteSoundtrack

Helm

Helm by Hobby Horse.
Bandcamp Link: Helm

When I’ve put my albums up on bandcamp, I guess I take an unusual tack with the selection of songs. I’ve usually got two jazz standards arranged for clarinet quartet, two harsh electronic pieces, and a couple improv solo tracks for whatever instrument I’m working on. I figure, if one of my theoretical listeners doesn’t like a song, I should give them something else on the next one. Not to mention represent the breadth of my interests.

Helm seem to be kindred spirits in the eclectic astral-musical plane.

This album starts with a fairly standard jazz trio workout for Bass Clarinet, Bass, and Drums. Then moves to a tune based around dance-like electronic bass and live percussion. Then some pretty sick drum and bass type stuff with sax. “Buckle” is a return to some nice atmospheric jazz, but traffics a bit in fusion tropes towards the end. “Born Again Cretin” sounds like it could be from a Robert Wyatt album. And ‘Amundsen – Evidently Chickentown” is, well, is a 21st Century version of John Cooper Clarke’s “Evidently Chickentown” embedded in the middle of an extended atmospheric electronic music piece that wouldn’t be out of place on a Roland Kayn album.

Like I said, fellow travelers on the “eclectic” astral-musical plane.

#Helm #HobbyHorse #TodaysCommuteSoundtrack #DanKinzelman #JoeRehmer #StefanoTamborrino

All Nerve

All Nerve by the Breeders.

A lot of my middle aged friends are listening to this new Breeders album, so I thought I should give it a listen.

Produced by Steve Albini, the classic “Last Splash” lineup of the Breeders has resolved (or forgotten) their differences and reunited. Kim and Kelley are both sober, and like the rest of us, middle aged.

It certainly sounds like a Breeders album, though a lot of the songs make me realize a) that the Breeders sound a bit like wire b) many of the good bits of the Pixies came from Kim Deal.

#TodaysCommuteSoundtrack #TheBreeders #AllNerve

A Philosophy Warping, Little By Little That Way Lies A Quagmire

“A Philosophy Warping, Little By Little, That Way Lies A Quagmire” by KONSTRUKT & Keiji Haino.
Bandcamp Page: A Philosophy Warping, Little by Little, That Way Lies a Quagmire

This one surprised me. I am pretty familiar with Haino, but only have heard one other album by Turkish improvising group Konstrukt.

Konstrukt included synthesizers in this line up which gives it an altogether more SciFi feel than their album with Marshall Allen, “Vibrations of the Day”. This is all over the place in a most enjoyable way, ranging from folkish melodies, to full on SciFi freakout, to something that is nearly modern electronic music.

Far freaking out.

#KorhanFutacı #UmutÇaglar#BerkanTilavel #ErdemGöymen #KeijiHaino #Konstrukt #TodaysCommuteSoundtrack #LobeliaLaxiflora

Director

Director by Yonatan Gat.
Bandcamp Page: Director

Another band I heard of from online acquaintance Joel Berk (aka @pfcidb on most social media). Given his predilection for guitar skronk, it is no surprise that this guitar, bass, drum trio is a sort of psychedelic surf combo. Well, if psychedelic surf bands played at tempos well above 200bpm.

Cheery, gruff, awesome, and enjoyable way to start the day.

You don’t need coffee with this album playing.

#TodaysCommuteSoundtrack #YonatanGat #Director

Insecurities

Insecurities by ADT.
Bandcamp Link: Insecurities

On this release ADT is a quintet of Guitar, Drums, Saxophone, Electronics, and Keyboards. The lack of bass unmoors them, leaving the drums, keyboard, and electronics as focus, with sax and guitar weaving in and out from time to time adding texture.

Eclectic squonk and squiggle often with more in common with early Tangerine Dream or Pink Floyd than “Jazz”, per se. Thoroughly enjoyable.

#TodaysCommuteSoundtrack #ADT #Insecuties #JakeAcosta #BenBillington #CarlosChavarria #KyleDrouin #AdamTramposh

Real Enemies

Real Enemies by Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society.
Bandcamp Link: Real Enemies

Inspired by the events and policies which took shape in America after the attacks on the twin towers, Darcy James Argue has crafted a suite of songs which draw from diverse aspects of 20th Century music.

Incredibly ambitious in its scope, Real Enemies weds small, well chosen audio samples from presidents and public figures with complex arrangements which alternate between inspiration take from 20th Century “Classical” music and 20th Century “Popular” music. Despite all those serious aspects, it is a really fun album. It all sounds a little bit like “spy music” from films and television.

You might have a Latin Jazz inspired piece nuzzled against something that evokes Minimalism. Or funk snuggling with 12 tone. Or even modal free jazz playing over Glass-esque minimalism (which works surprisingly well!). This is a amazing, rewarding, and challenging listen. Highly recommended.

#DarcyJamesArgue #DarcyJamesArgueSecretSociety #RealEnemies #TodaysCommuteSoundtrack

American Dollar Bill – Keep Facing Sideways, You’re Too Hideous To Look At Face On

“American Dollar Bill – Keep Facing Sideways, You’re Too Hideous To Look At Face On,” by Keiji Haino and Sumac.


Bandcamp Link: American Dollar Bill – Keep Facing Sideways, You’re Too Hideous To Look At Face On

I first encountered Keiji Haino and one of his bands, Fushitsusha, during my great enthusiasm for Japanese culture in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their records were some of the most brutally overdriven guitar psych freakouts of all time.



The trio Sumac are modern heavy things. But heavy in an arty way, more like say, Swans or The Birthday Party, than Black Sabbath or Iron Maiden.



Listening to this album, one of whose tracks is actually named, “What have I Done? (I Was Reeling In Something White and I Became Able to do Anything I Made a Hole Imprisoned Time Within it Created Friction Stopped Listening to Warnings Ceased Fixing my Errors Made the Impossible Possible? Turned Sadness Into Joy) Pt. 1”, I am most reminded reminded of esoteric 1970s music like The Godz or MC-5, along with The Birthday Party and Swans.



Pounding rhythms, clouds of overdriven guitar, bass guitar that is more of a feeling than a key. All things I enjoy.



Indeed, there are some moments on the track, “I’m Over 137% A Love Junkie And Still It’s Not Enough Pt. 2”, where everything is so amazingly distorted as to be ecstatic.



Lucky I made it to work this morning, and didn’t just sit in the parking lot at the beach with the stereo turned up to 11 and this album on repeat.



#TodaysCommuteSoundtrack #Sumac #KeijiHaino #AmericanDollarBillKeepFacingSidewaysYoureTooHideousToLookAtFaceOn

Oto

Oto by Sonore.

Sonore was a trio of three titanic modern reed players: Peter Brötzmann, Mats Gustaffson, and Ken Vandermark.

Recorded live at the Cafe Oto in London, this album has everything you would hope for from these three masters of Squonk. My favorite section is probably one where Gustaffson and Vandermark are on Baritone Sax and Brötzmann counters them on Tenor. Practically feels like a knife fight.

There are some folky passages from Brötzmann on tárogató, a nice clarinet duo, and Gustaffson’s patented extreme skronk. No one gets much rest on this album.

All in all, it must have been a very lively night in Dalston!

#MatsGustaffson #PeterBrötzmann #KenVandermark #todayscommutesoundtrack