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Meat Beat Manifesto: At the Center
ByNow, for the first time since Satyricon (Elektra, '92), Meat Beat Manifesto is getting release on a significant independent label with its own brand recognition. At the Center is really just a logical progression in the MBM discography, but this association with Thirsty Ear may further broaden Danger's profile among an audience which may not already be aware of his creative talents. And by collaborating with the nearly-ubiquitous keyboardist Craig Taborn, Bad Plus drummer Dave King, and flautist/Thirsty Ear exec Peter Gordon, Dangers adds an improvisational element to Meat Beat Manifesto's already divergent explorations, broadening his reach even further.
At the root of MBM's work is rhythmsometimes hypnotic, as on the trance-like "Bohemian Grove, elsewhere more insistently dance-floor, as on "Wild. But it's more than just about the beat. "Want Ads One and "Want Ads Two have a deadpan voice reading a series of seemingly disconnected newspaper ads that just might reveal a greater link on further examination. "Flute Thang blends improvisational interplay between Gordon and Dangers' own bass flute, while "Murita Cycles is driven by King's almost-swinging 3/4 rhythms and Taborn's more outré piano work.
As much as each piece has its own flow, one cannot be anything short of amazed at the mind that conceives such collage-like combinations of sound. There are all kinds of ear candy to be found deep in the layers of every track, and yet there's an overriding ethereal quality that makes At the Center a softer cushion than Meat Beat Manifesto's earlier, harder-edged work. Even when the rhythm is dense and the harmonies dissonant, there's a certain smoothness of texture in this music that never jars or disturbs the flow, keeping things eminently approachable.
At the Center continues Thirsty Ear's Blue Series' drive to blend modern electronica with the riskier tenet of jazz improvisation. Dangers' remarkable ear for sound potential makes At the Center one of the label's most successful meetings to date.
Visit Meat Beat Manifesto on the web.
Track Listing
Wild; Flute Thang; Murita Cycles; Want Ads One; Blind; Musica Classica; Bohemian Grove; United Nations etc. etc.; Want Ads Two; The Water Margin; Shotgun! (Blast to the Brain); Granulation 1
Personnel
Jack Dangers (bass, bass flute, bass clarinet, everything else); Peter Gordon (flute); Dave King (drums, percussion); Craig Taborn (Steinway grand piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, Hammond B3)
Album information
Title: At The Center | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Thirsty Ear Recordings
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