
blogue@press-4547
press@4547

blogue@press-4525
press@4525

blogue@press-4526
press@4526
Sich in der weiten, weiten Subkultur des Jazz wirklich noch experimentell zu sein, ist schon fast unmöglich, so sehr bestimmt das Außergewöhnliche die Norm. Splice muten ihrer Hörerschaft auf der Debüt-LP Lab einiges zu und vergreifen sich manchmal in der Dosis, meint Kristoffer Cornils.
Kopfmusik, das kann man wohl unterschreiben. So will es bei Jazz nicht nur das Klischee, so führt es der internationale Vierer (Wohnorte sind England, Frankreich und Kanada) in die Praxis. Lab ist entweder aleatorischer Hintergrundsoundtrack oder aber kognitives Erlebnis. Die wilden Improvisationsparts erleben ein ums andere Mal eine Auflösung in klare Strukturiertheit wie im Opener Caffeinated Drinks oder tanzen mit all ihrer Atonalität und den häufig gegeneinander versetzten Rhythmen im eigenen Radius solange herum, bis sich von Fuß bis Vorderlappen alles unentwirrbar verwickelt hat.
In den besten Momenten — erfreulich viele gute gibt es, das ist nicht zu leugnen — überraschen Splice mit unvorhersehbaren Stil — und Strukturbrüchen, die eine Spannung erzeugen, die sich selbst wieder auffängt, wenn von der absoluten Entgleisung in swingähnliche Momente übergeleitet wird. In den schlechteren allerdings mag sich das Quartett vielleicht mehr gedacht haben, als die wilde Kakophonie noch herüberbringen kann. Die Verbissenheit, mit der die zweifelsohne technisch vorzüglichen wie talentierten Noise-Jazzer, stellenweise agieren, hätte etwas mehr Drosselung und mehr Drang zur Direktheit erfahren sollen. So bleibt Lab wirklich noch Experimentierfeld im Experimentellen. Ein bisschen lockerer Spirit wäre da wünschenswert, so wie es Saxofonist/Klarinettist Robin Fincker in seiner Kurzvita vormacht. Die beschränkt sich schließlich auf ein herrlich unverkopftes»blabla«. Genau!
blogue@press-4524
press@4524
Very rock, rather sludge, partly improvised, Splice’s music tastefully peels the paint and rumbles in style. This Quebecois/British quartet consists of Alex Bonney (trumpet/electronics), Robin Fincker (tenor sax/clarinet), Pierre Alexandre Tremblay (electric bass/electronics), and Dave Smith (drums). The same PA Tremblay who releases acousmatic music on empreintes DIGITALes? Yes, I’m pretty sure. The parallel with Montréal-based trio La part maudite is strong, but Splice’s music is less in-your-face, more nuanced and, in the end, more substantial.
blogue@press-4506
press@4506
It seems that jazz and more open ended forms of music are alive and well in the UK, or at least that’s the impression I get form a recent glut of albums I’ve been listening to. Here’s another excellent release from the Loop Collective label featuring this fine group known as Splice. If you follow the UK jazz scene the names of Fincker, Bonney and Smith need no introduction, however Pierre Alexandre Tremblay was a new name to me, and a nice discovery. It’s probably his inclusion in the group which adds an interesting slant to the music as Pierre Alexandre Tremblay works at the Huddersfield University teaching and composing in the field of Electro-Acoustics along with the likes of EA guru Monty Adkins. Many such groups have musicians that tweak electronics whereas in this band the electro-acoustic element is really fine tuned, skilfully used and subtle.
The music ranges from what I imagine are improvised workouts to fully composed pieces. The mournful melodies combined with the subtle use of electro-acoustic manipulations result in a very dark ambience, in fact the BBC commented on a live concert saying ’if you like your music dark and dense’ — exactly! Here small details are taken from the trumpet or the sax are re-used in pieces to produce ambient sounds which are maybe interrupted by a single drum beat or a clarinet that bursts through from somewhere beyond. Tunes such as Tk 2 (Cortège) are slow and heavy with a sax that cries out before gradually playing a delicate melody over blistering drums and distorted bass. Tk 3 (The Wanderer) makes great use of clarinet and trumpet playing a melody which seems to repeat itself (but not exactly) and could be something from Miles Davis Big Fun. The group seems to have almost done away with direct soloing, successfully combining improvisation, composition and electro-acoustics into well balanced musical style, giving no aspect of the music more or less room. Tk 8 (Sillon Fermé) is a typical example with manipulated bass sounds turning non stop in a loop. Is anybody really playing, or is the whole thing electro acoustic manipulation?
It’s not a perfect record but it has many strong points and one wonders where they will move next with this idea, in fact it’s a little like a card player who never really shows their hand. Splice is not so much a genre buster, but more of a genre consolidator and will probably appeal to those who like the work of Food, Jim Black’s AlasNoAxis or Chris Speed’s Yeh No Ensemble. However, this being a British band (and production) the music is in fact much rawer in feeling and whilst also being sophisticated it’s capable of giving your speakers a run for their money — play loud!
blogue@press-4521
press@4521