By Glenn Astarita

Young heavyweight modern jazz saxophonist/improviser/free-thinker Briggan Krauss offers the willing listener a maniacal digital scan or electronic portrait of a creative mind on the loose with this new release titled, Descending To End. For the uninitiated, Krauss possesses one of the astute intellects in modern music as he often propels his technical and artistic abilities to the outer limits of perception. Here, Krauss performs all electronic-digital instruments and saxophones while engaging musical concepts that are undeniably difficult to categorize or describe by mere mortals.

Throughout these 9 pieces, Krauss often utilizes his saxophone as a mouthpiece for expressionism or perhaps mimicking human dialogue, which at any given moment may translate into plaintive cries or perhaps liturgies on the human condition via high register squeals and jagged phrasing. Krauss effectively integrates his saxes with electronic percussion, turntables, reverberating and seemingly paranormal synth sounds while at times the music can strike one as being sadistic or unnerving. Pieces such as “Dust The Desolate” are characterized by high-pitched screeching saxophones atop haunting electronic backwashes as though some human entity was being inflicted with pain. Here vivid imagery becomes a slice of reality especially when considering the title of this composition. The same could be said of “Flu Coasting” where Krauss seemingly enacts a widespread flu epidemic through the bizarre implementation of garbled and distorted voices which at times parallel the notion of demonic spirits or a feverish state of confusion and sickness. Frightening? Haunting? ..Well, it would be a safe assumption that this recording should not be played among those with weak hearts or in the presence of small children.

In all honesty we really need to commend Briggan Krauss’ for his acute yet slightly warped vision as Descending To End transcends even the most outlandishly surreal electronic outings this writer has heard in recent years. Mr. Krauss’ themes and musical statements closely echo the titles of his compositions, which unto itself rings loud and clear as the correlation of words or insinuation of thoughts come to fruition in explicit and emotive fashion on all of these pieces.

With his latest release, Krauss conveys a certain degree of brilliance while garnering a perfect 10 for ingenuity yet it would be difficult to recommend this recording to just anyone as Descending To End should see its fair share of controversy. Not much middle ground here or sway for those who may be a tad reluctant to take the plunge yet the overall magnitude of this recording may be that of a conversation piece comparable to a controversial modern art painting or sculpture. Recommended (but not for everyone) * * * *

Knitting Factory Records web: www.knittingfactory.com