The Remote Viewers: Persuasive With Aliens

Glenn Astarita

Senior Contributor since 1997

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

Recent articles (1,629 total)

Published: August 1, 2000

With their third release for “Leo Records” titled, Persuasive With Aliens, we find “The Remote Viewers” covering David Bowie’s “Jump They Say” and ultra modern rock band, “Portishead”’s “All Mine” along with a collection of originals that earmark this band’s adventurous yet at times cabalistic demeanor. Here, the musicians continue with their three-saxophone hybrid electronics style of attack augmented by Louis Petts’ often-sultry yet otherworldly or dreamlike vocals. Pieces such as “The Destraction of Elegance” and “Alien Landscape” exhibit the band’s well known penchant for three part saxophone dialogues featuring intricate unison choruses, implied rhythms, subversive soloing and EFX backwashes. On “The Tilt of Cylinders”, the band turns in hauntingly abstract themes and screeching sax parts that could conceivably paraphrase some sort of bizarre or cryptic form of communication with the unknown. Hence the title, Persuasive with Aliens does ring loud and clear!

Perhaps a bit darker or gloomier than their previous “Leo” releases yet the band continues to dazzle the auditory senses while also exploring the outer reaches of modern music. And while they do manage to maintain their strikingly unique identity, extra doses of melody thrown into the mix may have offset the overly cerebral listening experience.

* * * ½ (out of * * * * *)

Personnel:

Adrian Northover; Soprano Saxophone: Louise Petts; Alto Saxophone, Vocals & Electronics: David Petts; Tenor Saxophone & Electronics.

Track listing: 1) Jump They Say 2) Cold War 3) The Secret Of Chimneys 4) The Destraction Of Elegance 5) Conspiring With Robots 6) All Mine 7) Verticals And Night Sounds 8) Alien Landscapes 9) The Tilt Of Cylinders 10) Persuasive With Aliens

Leo Records website: http://www.atlas.co.uk/leorecords/

Record Label: Leo Records
Style: Modern Jazz