A fantastic record from saxophonist Martin Kuchen – and a set that has us really reevaluating his talents, with a new sense of soul and spirit we've never heard before! The setting is relatively spare – and Kuchen dominates the proceedings on soprano, alto, and tenor saxes – while Mathias Landaeus plays piano with some analog delay, alongside Johnny Aman on bass and Cornelia Nilsson on drums – both players who follow the lead of Landaeus, and give Kuchen plenty of space to shine in the spotlight! What Martin does with this space is wonderful – blowing with a style that has an edge, borne from the more avant work of the past, but also given this mellower sense of soul that almost has him coming across like an avant Ben Webster – a bit boozy and beaten, but with an undeniable spark that shines through with every note. Brilliant, and unlike anything we think we've heard before – on titles that include "Love Flee Thy House", "Sounds & Ruins", "Sorkifsta", "Mind The Gap Of Silence", and "East Hastings Satian Slow Stomp". ~ Dusty Groove
The WHO here is a trio with Michel Wintsch on piano, Gerry Hemingway on drums, and Banz Oester on bass – a trio who make very different music with the songs of Duke Ellington! The vibe is very open and creative – very much in the spirit of Michel's best recordings of the past decade or so – but the real star of the set might be bassist Oester, as he handles his instrument in these really amazing ways – sometimes rhythmic, with qualities that set the pulse for the tunes – but other times with these unusual sounds that sometimes feel as if they're making up for the missing horn players that might have been in larger group recordings, and resonating wonderfully with the looser, freer lines of Wintsch on piano. Drummer Hemingway finds a way to space himself perfectly, and also adds in some really compelling moments on voice – on titles that include "The Mooche", "Black & Tan Fantasy", "Passion Flower", "Angelica", "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing", and "In A Sentimental Mood". ~ Dusty Groove
The Heliocentrics just get spookier and spookier with each new release – as is definitely the case here, with a recording that seemed to haunt the group like a ghost! The majority of the record comes from one long improvised jam the group were recording – supposedly while on a break, but accidentally recorded – and providing the perfect groundwork for the dark, deep, funky sounds here – served up in that trademark blend of psychedelia and cosmic funk that's become the group's calling card! The core improvisations were chopped up, expanded, and reworked to form the rest of the record – all based around the spooky sounds first captured in Quatermass Sound Lab – in a mixture of deep dark drums from Malcolm Catto, plus fuzzy guitar, electronics, bass, and loads of effects – on titles that include "The Opening", "Shattered Mind", "Rehearsal 24", "Space Cake", "Telemetric Sounds", and "Devastation". ~ Dusty Groove
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