Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Elliott Sharp: Tectonics: Errata

Elliott Sharp: Tectonics: Errata

By AAJ Staff
December 1, 1999
Sign in to view read count

Few avant-garde guitarists have made as much of a statement as Elliott Sharp. In his many projects he has worked within rock, blues, free jazz, electronica, and modern classical idioms. But his great talent (and primary intent here, I suppose) is to build unexpected combinations from these elements. His solo Tectonics project, now in its third reincarnation, approaches music using samplers and sequencers as well as guitar and saxophone. (And it's a lot more effective than, for example, his drum&bass collaboration with DJ Soulslinger last year. Mainly because the electronic component has more structure and variety.)

Errata blends electronica with free jazz and a touch of noise. While pulsing and crashing noises emerge from his Powerbook, Sharp performs on his weird-looking 8-stringed guitarbass or saxophone (sounds like alto to me). While a lot of the time the performance sounds are distorted to square waves, Sharp also throws in dry tones and touches of reverberant warmth. The style of his performance also varies widely, from bluesy lilt to nostalgic jazz to all-out noise.

The programming is highly variegated and somewhat mesmerizing. It can't be emphasized enough that E# is not for everyone. But if you have an open mind and seek something creatively expansive, you might find Sharp's music highly addictive. Errata is as good a place as any to start.

Track Listing

Spliny Thicket; In Tongues; City of Sand; Which Delta; Calle Siete; Hotfoot; Noospheric; Goomy; Kargyraa; Errataka.

Personnel

Elliott Sharp

guitar, electric

Elliott Sharp, guitar, saxophone, programming.

Album information

Title: Errata | Year Released: 1999 | Record Label: Knitting Factory

< Previous
Holiday Music '99

Next >
Sun Ra Arkestra Directed by Marshall ...

Comments

About Elliott Sharp

Instrument: Guitar, electric

Tags

For the Love of Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help

To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.