Odds & Ends 094
Petter Eldh Presents Koma Saxo
Hyper/rigorous Scandijazz, with token German drummer Christian Lillinger bringing occasional robofunk, alto/baritone Mikko Innanen outflanking the tenors, and Jonas Kullhammar providing not his first instant epic composition (“Fanfarum for Komarum II”, “Cyclops Dance”, “Sa Rinner Tiden Bort”)
For a Berlin techno album by an expat ex-punk with a song named after a von Trier movie, quite genial (“Cold Green”, “Breaking the Waves”, “Um”)
Ran Blake & Claire Ritter: Eclipse Orange
Two melodic and modernist pianos, sometimes simultaneously and sometimes with sax, with long lyrical passages and surprise accents to keep you awake (“Emerald & the Breeze”, “There’s Been a Change”, “Eclipse Orange”)
Spectral Voice: Eroded Corridors of Unbeing
Take this as representative of a pile of excellent-if-you-like-that-kind-of-thing recombinations of death and doom elements, or subscribe to Decibel (“Dissolution”, “Lurking Gloom”)
George Coleman: The Quartet
One of Harold Mabern’s last recordings; he and Coleman are both in strong form, expressive on two originals and a bunch of standards that for once peak with the ballads (“Prelude to a Kiss”, “When I Fall in Love”)
Years after riding their Scottish-Canadian take on post-ironic trap production to Kanye money, Hudson Mohawke and Lunice reunite with… more post-ironic trap, maybe post-post-ironic in the case of the reggaeton one, and anything with that many posts has to have some pleasure in it (“Gimme Summn”, “Dollaz”)
The last thirty years of extreme electronica from gabber to Death Grip ersatz gabber, condensed into a half hour, and fuck you too by the way (“Pattern Obligation”, “One Last Midnight”)
Cute title for cute dirges, but death metal is more, uh, lively (“Between Sleipnir’s Breaths”)