Scoolptures: White Sickness (2011)

Glenn Astarita

Senior Contributor since 1997

Longtime contributor to AAJ and Downbeat, Jazz Review, EjazzNews, Radio DirectX.

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Published: June 6, 2011

White Sickness is an extension of Scoolpture's 2009 outing for Leo Records, Materiale Umano. Again, the unorthodox lineup intimates the man and machine lineup via the quartet's heavy use of electronics. However, the program is designed with equilibrium, where the live electronics, drums, and sax elements attains equal footing with the effects playing a vital role. The musicians' judicious implementation of the electronic spectrum assists with eliciting vivid imagery and a polytonal basis for delving into semi-structured compositions and improvisation.

With eminent and well-traveled Italian woodwind specialist Achille Succi serving as the primary soloist, the music bespeaks a foreboding viewpoint amid a few acutely placed doomsday scenarios, but it's all in good fun, as the artists convey a genial modus operandi during these works, featuring streaming treatments and Succi's commanding presence.

The quartet paints a delicate metaphor that summons an impression of happenstance on "Undicidue," abetted by Succi's weaving bass clarinet lines atop Philippe "Pipon" Garcia's gently tumbling rhythms, while they depict a discombobulated planet during "Diecidue," which is built on slithery and tingling electronics and asymmetrical pulses along with intimations of lament.

They venture into minimalism and microtonal fundamentals, then elevate matters into a scorching exposition, topped off by reverberating backwashes of alien sounds on "Tredicidue." Other movements are engineered with shadowy motifs, gurgling undercurrents, and LP scratches on "Quindicitre."

Delightfully strange and insightfully concocted, Scoolptures reemphasizes some of the wonderful strangeness occurring in the European avant-garde and improvisational strata. It is an interesting concept, from a band that embraces solidarity and a resolute line of attack. The sum of the bouyantly moving parts transfer to disc in meritorious fashion.

Track Listing: Quindiciuno; Undicitre; Undicidue; Diecidue; Tretre; Tredicidue; Seidue; Quattrodue; Dodicidue; Quindicitre.

Personnel: Nicola Negrini: bass, metallophone, live electronics; Achille Succi: bass clarinet, alto sax; Philippe "Pipon" Garcia: drums, live electronics; Antonio Della Marina: sinewaves, live electronics.

Record Label: Leo Records
Style: Modern Jazz