Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The Scrambling Ex: The Scrambling Ex
The Scrambling Ex: The Scrambling Ex
ByThe Scrambling Ex opens with Van Huffel's "Beast," an episodic piece in which an alien-sounding soundscape is abruptly subverted by a tricky theme which then leads into an intense improv section: Van Huffel's broiling- hot alto way out in front. The musical variety never lets up as the trio explore a dizzying array of musical color fields that sit more-or- less in a triangle with vertices at free improvisation, math rock, and modern jazz. Willers' metallic guitar solo provides mega-thrills on "Case of Need," while Van Huffel's "Tangent" (a track that also appears on Van Huffel's remarkable quartet album Like The Rusted Key, Fresh Sound New Talent, 2010) uses a similar frenetic energy in a much more directed way. Here, the result is not unlike a bass- less, saxophone-dominated take on the work of math- rockers Don Caballero. Coming from the same general sonic territory, Willer's "Flegenfloet" is a bit straighter; ironically ripping a page out of Van Huffel's own Gorilla Mask playbook. Fans of rock excess will dig the fuzz bass here. More familiar modern jazz references abound on the jauntybut no less energetic"Princess" and "Groom and Bride," both driven by Steidle's excellent drumming.
The trio probes the other end of the sound spectrum on Van Huffel's brooding, atmospheric "Happenstance" and Willers' "Sonic Finder." Here, energy is gathered inward into a slowly coalescing, highly- concentrated tension that never really releases. Here, the trio's sound evokes the early 1970s recordings of Terje Rypdal and Edward Vesala for the ECM label, and its lesser-known JAPO subsidiary. The tension gets released in a big way on Willers' "Adventures in Nalepaland." Based on a vaguely Mahavishnu-esque guitar riff that's given a slightly Eastern European twist by Van Huffel's keening clarinet. Steidle's aggressive, over- the-top drums eventually pull Willers and Van Huffel into the realms of sludge-rock.
The Scrambling Ex is not short on musical surprises and unexpected transitions. This is modern, free-leaning jazz lovingly polluted with a vast variety of non-jazz influences, though not in a calculated or contrived way.
Track Listing
Beast; Case Of Need; Happenstance; Princess; Tangent; Adventures In Nalepaland; Groom & Bride; Sonic Finder; Flegenfoet.
Personnel
Peter Van Huffel: alto saxophone, clarinet; Oliver Steidle: drums, percussion, selected sounds; Andreas Willers: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, electric bass (9).
Album information
Title: The Scrambling Ex | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: FMR Records
< Previous
Stop Time
Next >
Better Than Anything