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Syntopia Quartet: Mars
ByViolinist Albrecht Maurer's staccato lines atop the musicians' changeable pulses, topped off with moments of wit and whimsy, provide quite a bit of impact. At times the quartet morphs European folk themes into free jazz explorations that are awash with fervently expressed four-way exchanges. On "Tempe Terra, they investigate dark alleys and loosely based twists and turns while also whipping up some turmoil-laden heated circular movements. In addition, clarinetist Claudio Puntin periodically fuses the human element into the music by implementing vocal-like attributes. In other spots, the artists meld abstract world music grooves and spiraling motifs with emphatic soloing. Overall, this impressive record label debut would seemingly preclude more stylistic and somewhat risqué undertakings. Recommended.
Track Listing
Goodbye Earth; Chryse Planitia; Tempe Terra; Elysium Planitia; Valles Mariners; Olympus Mons; Newton Basin; Chasma Boreale; Back to Earth.
Personnel
Albrecht Maurer: violin, gothic fiddle; Claudio Puntin: bassclarinet, clarinet; Dieter Manderscheid: double bass; Klaus Kugel: percussions, sound objects.
Album information
Title: Mars | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: NEMU Records
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