Archer: Sudden Dusk

Saxophonist and label chief Dave Rempis invites listeners to come for the punk rock and stay for the meditation session. With his new quartet, Archer, the Chicagoan joins forces with Dutch guitarist Terrie Ex and the Norwegian rhythm duo of bassist Jon Rune Strøm and drummer Tollef Østvang. Sudden Dusk captures two live performances from the group's U.S. tour in the spring of 2024.

Rempis first made waves in the late 1990s with The Vandermark 5 before leading a slew of projects, including the Rempis Percussion Quartet, Ballister, From Wolves to Whales and Kuzu. Terrie Ex (aka Terrie Hessels) and founded the Dutch punk band The Ex, which has evolved over four decades to embrace world music and improvisation. Along the way, he has collaborated with artists such as Paal Nilssen-Love, Thurston Moore, Mats Gustafsson and Ken Vandermark. Strøm and Østvang, meanwhile, have established themselves in the European improvisation scene through their work with groups like All Included (with Martin Kuchen), Universal Indians (with John Dikeman) and Friends & Neighbors (with Thomas Johansson).

At nearly 30 minutes long, "Omen" opens the album with pecking guitar, Østvang's brushwork, Strøm's pulsing bass and Rempis' spiraling soprano saxophone phrases. The energy surges as different players take the lead—whether through Rempis' circular breathing, Østvang's forceful drumming, Terrie Ex's jagged chords, or Strøm's rumbling low end. The chaos of punk and free jazz dominates, yet the quartet consistently weaves in moments of contemplation. When the momentum pauses, Østvang might strike a bell or gong while Terrie Ex repeats a hypnotic motif, soon mirrored by Rempis in a meditative exchange. But the frenzy inevitably returns—this time with Rempis on tenor saxophone, pushing the group into a fiery climax.

This yin-yang dynamic resurfaces on "Bright Side," where Rempis switches to baritone sax as Østvang and Strøm ignite a powerful opening before settling into a mid-track lull for quiet reflection. These introspective moments are striking, as is the mantra-like interplay on "Half Stack," where looping guitar and bass phrases create a deep, immersive trance.

With Sudden Dusk, Archer does not just balance aggression and serenity, it forges a sound that thrives in the tension between the two.

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