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Thermal: Ice In A Hot World
ByFrequent collaborators, Butcher and Lehn enjoy an almost symbiotic relationship. While their mysterious exchanges can be abstract and unpredictable, they can also summon a fiery intensity. That was demonstrated in exceptional style when they partnered pianist Matthew Shipp on the wonderful Tangle (Fataka, 2016). It also serves them in good stead when hitched with Moor, erstwhile stalwart of Dutch avant punk band The Ex. He takes a more direct approach than many improvisers. His forthright slashes, chimes, detuned twangs and plunks speak the language, but he's always conscious of the power of repetition and noise.
Indeed some of the most involving passages arrive when all three hit the accelerator as they do midway through the opening "Dreams Are Fraying," following a period of droney ambience and mounting tension. Release comes in the overlay of overblown saxophone, abrasive guitar strokes and percussive metallic resonance, until a sudden pressure drop signals one of those instances of everyone realizing job done. From differing starting points, both "Autumn Fireflies" and "Echoes Of A Clucking Tongue" build to similarly jagged peaks. However the most distinctive section comes on the concluding title track, where Moor somehow feeds his voice through his guitar, culminating in a bracing primal incantation. Unsettling territory to be sure for any improv date.
Personnel
Additional Instrumentation
Thomas Lehn: analogue synthesiser; John Butcher: tenor and soprano saxophone.
Album information
Title: Ice In A Hot World | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Unsounds
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