Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Otomo Yoshihide Quartet: Allurements of the Ellipsoid

156

Otomo Yoshihide Quartet: Allurements of the Ellipsoid

By

Sign in to view read count
Otomo Yoshihide Quartet: Allurements of the Ellipsoid
The minimalist improvisation of Otomo Yoshihide's Quartet, assembled for the 2005 Donaueschinger Music Festival, delivers a thoroughly abstract sound that could never be described as obtuse.

This coming together of heavyweight improvisers yielded two discs—one, a studio session and the other, a live performance—recorded over three days. Those familiar with the genius of Yoshihide's music can follow his career from the noisy rock of his band Ground Zero to his swinging free jazz recordings for small and large ensemble. His previous releases include two 2010 tributes: one, to Albert Ayler, Bells; the other, to Tortoise and Chicago Underground Trio. Rounding out the quartet is reductionist trumpeter Axel Dorner, a player equally suited for post-post-bop, as heard in his Thelonious Monk tribute band Die Enttäuschung, or as a minimalist player in Phosphor.

Here, the band maintains a quiet, almost meditative sound. Recorded in both 5.1 surround SACD sound and simple two-channel stereo, the quartet relies on silent passages, with nary a noisy surprise of babble, especially on the studio recording of the first disc. The players seem content to listen and contribute (sometimes hesitating) gestures. Dörner's breathy fluttering floats over an undercurrent of M's high frequency pitches and whistles. Likewise, Yoshihide is apt to deliver electronic hum as if it were a breath being expelled.

The studio recording appears as an ancient forest of 800 year-old redwood trees, with the implication that the trees' conversations are not to be hurried, while CD2, the live disc's "Allurement 3" and "Allurement 4" are (just a wee bit) noisier, the players interacting more with overlapping sounds. Brandlmayr continues to eschew his drumsticks for hand taps and pats, while the collective conversation lifts. Dörner's breathy shudders bounce off the pings and pops of electronics, as the scratchy pops of a vinyl LP repeat in some sort of science fiction B-movie soundtrack.

In both the studio and the live performance discs, time—or the sense of musical time—is almost nonexistent. These four improvising players are participating in a classical dialogue of the empirical-versus-metaphysical nature of sound and music creation.

Track Listing

CD1: Allurement 1; Allurement 2. CD2: Allurement 3; Allurement 4.

Personnel

Otomo Yoshihide: turntable, electronics, guitar; Axel Dörner: trumpet; Sachiko M: sine waves; Martin Brandlmayr: drums.

Album information

Title: Allurements of the Ellipsoid | Year Released: 2011 | Record Label: Neos

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter 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.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.