Matt Choboter: Unburying, from Liminals, Emerging

More than just the title of this particular album, Unburying, From Liminals, Emerging, might well be a description of the process Matt Choboter has followed on his previous few records. Dating back to Anima Revisited (Songlines, 2021), then Sleep Inertia (ILK, 2022) and Postcards of Nostalgia (ILK, 2023), the Canadian pianist and composer has explored the realms of sleeping and dreaming through unconventional means of composing and playing on his own and with collaborating musicians.

The metaphysical and mystical overtones of the pianist/composer instrumental expeditions are difficult if not impossible to understate. It is as if each of the three releases, on its own terms and as part of a progression, represents a shift from the various stages of those aforementioned states of being. For this adventure, Chotober aligns himself with another four comparably courageous musicians to similarly evocative results. The impact of their efforts is further amplified through extensive technical efforts that capture the multi-layered aspects of the performances.

Still, none of this sounds contrived. "Sumerian Rock Tapestry" and "Buried Language," for instance, are seamless segues that give way to an ever so slightly more assertive track titled "Marrow Midden." As the fivesome plays, they float gracefully around each other, interweaving and embroidering a density of sound with their respective instruments. The purposeful nature of their interactions belies how altogether spontaneous it sounds, an unself-conscious atmosphere all the more remarkable on "Moon's Ice Glades."

There, multiple recordings of saxophonists Calum Builder on alto, Miguel Crozzoli on tenor and Michal Biel on baritone, were merged to retain the distinctive ambiance of the respective locations. So captured in audio, then mixed by Simon Mariegaard (who co-produced with Choboter)—for mastering by Sam Nacht—the varied sonic textures simultaneously mesmerize and tranquilize. Within the almost-tactile presence of the audio, the bandleader's microtonal tuned piano, like Jan Kadereit's percussion, becomes more than merely a subliminal effect during "Waylang Kuit."

And the thirty-four minutes gain cumulative momentum to culminate with a fitting delicacy on "Pupa Karma." The varied nature of the composition's sources of inspiration—psychology, architecture, exotic musical styles—crystallizes with supreme clarity by that denouement. An eerie but compelling combination of the familiar and the novel arises from these six tracks, repeated listening to which eventually becomes addictive.

Deceptively nebulous, the effect is not unlike the fundamental air of those netherworlds on which the compositions and arrangements are based. Vivid cover graphics designed by Choboter's grandfather are but another tangible manifestation of the instinctual communication Matt Choboter and his kindred spirits utilized to create Unburying, From Liminals, Emerging.

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