Der Verboten: Der Verboten

Violist Frantz Loriot and pianist Cedric Piromalli previously joined forces under the German moniker, Treffpunkt. And Der Verboten signifies the new lineup with the addition of saxophonist Antoine Chessex and drummer Christian Wolfarth for a fascinating album captured live at a French venue. And while the lone extended track "Der Dritte Treffpinky," is firmly situated in an experimental school of thought, the artists project cinematic inferences within a storyboard that contains an assortment of highly imaginative interweaving motifs.

Loriot's scraping and sliding manipulations help launch the proceedings, followed by Chessex' flirtatious phraseology and a series of clustering developments amid hearty doses of acoustic sound-shaping expeditions. Moreover, the program benefits from the immaculate audio characteristics, where all the inner-workings are effectively transmitted in parallel with the acute timbral contrasts and asymmetrical cadences. Hence, the band's broad-minded approach and effective use of space yield numerous rewarding factors on all fronts.

The musicians embark on a continual discovery process, coupled with splintering sound designs, minimalism and faintly executed background treatments. From a holistic view, they reflect inward and produce a sense of time standing still during certain passages. About midway, Piromalli steps on the piano pedals to generate a harrowing vista, along with Chessex' fluttering lines and the band's sudden deep dive into an ominous plot that could mimic the aftereffects of a nuclear catastrophe —and here is where the musical events get very interesting. Moving forward, the cellist adds to the tension-building progressions as the band gradually elevates the pitch in concert with the pianist's hammering chord clusters. But the saxophonist ups the ante with frenetic upper-register voicings, signalling an emergency of some sort, as quietude and a renewal process paint an aural canvas that is akin to a rather chilling scenario. Airy, tension building and gushing with lucid imagery, this an ensemble that prompts the mind's eye to run rampant.