Today’s Sounds

Record:

Ensemble X Ensemble X (Red Toucan)

 

 

Listeners can be forgiven for thinking the “X” refers to Xenakis, since the overall sound field is sometimes reminiscent of electro-acoustic works such as Polytope de Cluny and at other times recalls the composer’s microtonal orchestral pieces. A further clue, which may be deliberate or just coincidental, is the large X on the back cover, a virtual copy of the artwork from the Mode series of Xenakis releases. However, according to band leader Carl Ludwig Hübsch, the “X” in the group’s name should be interpreted algebraically, representing an unknown quantity and hinting at anonymity.

Indeed, the international crew of Swiss, French, German and American natives includes names that will be unfamiliar to many, although some may recognize clarinettist Xavier Charles and trumpeter Nate Wooley. Further, an almost complete avoidance of overt soloing means no individual player stands out at any time, so the “X” for anonymity fits in that regard as well.

In any case, this certainly ain’t your typical 19-member big band. The customary saxes, brass, clarinets, strings, piano, bass and percussion are present, but they’re augmented by the electronics of Uli Böttcher, Christoph Schiller’s spinet and unspecified “objects” sonified by Olivier Toulemonde. The wide orchestral palette is used to great effect, with constantly shifting timbral colours.

While textured noise is nothing new for improvisers, few large ensembles have done it this coherently, with each member contributing exactly the right noise at the right time. In the absence of chord charts, large improvising ensembles have a tendency to wander aimlessly for long periods of time or to abruptly change textures according to who gets bored the quickest or is playing loudest. Hübsch carefully avoided these potential pitfalls through savvy selection of attentive musicians who sacrifice the self for the ensemble. The result is a meticulously detailed, ever-evolving ecosystem of interlocking micro-sounds of varying density, whose overall impression is of a composed work, despite claims to the contrary.

While these four swirling meta-improvisations will obviously appeal to fans of European free improvisation, they are highly recommended to musical adventurers of all stripes.

 

Track:

Animal Collective “Today’s Supernatural”

 
Last night, these Brooklyn art rockers launched their own radio station and premiered this busy new song. Expect a weekly drop of tracks from their upcoming album, Centipede Hz, out Sept. 4 on Domino.

 

Video:

Naam “Starchild”

 
Remember when every music video used to climax with a guitar solo by the edge of a cliff? Naam bring some contemporary credibility to cliff-side rawk in the video for this Sabbath-inspired tune, packed with bizarre mythical Egyptian mysticism.