Different Noises 13

A bit of a gap between this one and the last – there was a paucity of new things which were significantly different. However there was a rush of new material in the last week. To “fill the gap” up to the two hour (or thereabouts) mark I thought I would start the process of marking the end of German Shepherd Records which I will be covering over the next few episodes. There’s new things from a variety of sources here, a jazz classic, plus a selection of bands from Cambridge who were part of the German Shepherd story. Featuring Brown Spirits, Linden Pomeroy, Christian Vasseur and Charlie Beresford, Wo Fat, Dubmatix, Julien Tassin and Patrick Steenaerts, Eric Dolphy, Roger Reynolds, Sana Nagano and Leonor Falcón, and from Cambridge The Scissors, Ember Rev, Keltrix, Lizard Brain, Carterband, Umbrella Assassins, and Bouquet of Dead Crows.

Brown Spirits – Who’s At The Door? – Solitary Transmissions (Soul Jazz)

Brown Spirits are from Melbourne, Australia. Their stripped down and tight musical unit is a trio (think Cream or Hendrix!) of raw bass, drums and shared guitar/keyboards meets the D-I-Y attitude and punk/post-punk intensity giving them a unique hi-octane sound. With a range of influences that range from Neu! to Soft Machine, Gang of Four, Miles Davis, Hendrix, Argent, Lonnie Liston Smith, King Crimson and beyond, their powerfully progressive hard and hypnotic sound is truly unforgettable. They have a love all things Krautrock – mixed with an overwhelmingly powerful lo-fi psych and punk attitude. The album features super heavy and raw drums, tough basslines, heavy fuzzed-out wah and psyche guitar and analog moog synthesizers, all recorded on analogue ¼ inch tape.

Linden Pomeroy – Under the Blossoming Tree – Remien Vigilia (Ramble Records)

Remien Vigilia is an album by Worthing, West Sussex UK, artist Linden Pomeroy, recorded in July 2022. Back porch style acoustic guitar, just 6 and 12 thundering strings. If the blues is a river where themes are borrowed from and re contextualised – Remien Vigilia takes it in ‘to the point’ Primitive fashion. Inspired by the folklore and landscape of the South Downs near his home, much of it was written in a short bout giving a sense of urgency throughout.

Christian Vasseur and Charlie Beresford – Tous les parfums de la terre – Les amoureuses (Ramble Records)

Les amoureuses’ is the second album by French guitarist and composer Christian Vasseur and UK guitarist Charlie Beresford. This time sees Christian Vasseur adopt the use of the weissenborn and weissenborn-harpa which has added a whole new soundscape to this established duo’s forte. Building from their live performances where they create a cinematic soundscape, ‘Les amoureuses’ sees the pair incorporate poetry and improvisation exploring the hinterland of love, the light, the dark and the hidden.

Wo Fat – Overworlder – The Singularity (Bandcamp)

After over 12 years of slinging their Texas-sized psychedelic blues doom, Wo Fat is going stronger androcking harder than ever, as they continue their swampadelic visionquest of overdriven, fuzz-laden riffage and jazz-minded jam explorations, and with six studio albums, a live album, and a couple splits under their belt, Wo Fat has gained a reputation as one of the premier US Stoner Metal bands. Taken from the Weedian compilation “Trip to Texas”.

Dubmatix – Black & Blue (Hip Hop Reggae Mix) – Black & Blue E.P.

Taken from the “ReWired” album, the EP features Rootwords with two new remixes, plus the original.

Julien Tassin and Patrick Steenaerts – Azur – Duality (Ramble Records)

With their first album, Duality, Belgium guitarists Julien Tassin and Patrick Steenaerts re-define the guitar duo formula without putting one or the other soloist in the spotlight. Instead, the musicians go for collective improvisation which sees them draw on classical music, jazz and experimental music. Duality is a wonderfully melodic and lyrical release that has moments of atonality and improvisation. A duality that is the intrinsic character of this band. The guitars intertwine, and overlap to create intriguing, exciting and filmic music.

Eric Dolphy – Hat and Beard – Out To Lunch (Blue Note)

1964 album and his only recording on Blue Note as a leader. Featuring Dolphy in a quintet with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Richard Davis and drummer Tony Williams, it was generally considered by critics as one of the finest albums issued on Blue Note, and widely viewed as one of the high points of 1960s avant-garde jazz.

Roger Reynolds – Dream Mirror – For A Reason (Neuma Records)

The westward panorama from Roger Reynolds’s Del Mar windows comprises not only the Pacific Ocean but also, as the light changes, his own visage and the virtual world in an easterly direction. The simultaneous, layered reflection serves somehow as an apt portrait of the composer’s many aspects – fused, recombined, shifting, mirrored – they are both here and there. And this multiplicity is deeply emblematic of the four remarkable works found in For A Reason.

The works (spanning over three decades) are the result of his intensely collaborative process with artistic friends, who, in this case, also happen to be celebrated performers: Pablo Gómez Cano (guitar), Irvine Arditti (violin), Steven Schick (percussion), and Liz Pearse (voice). The process of composer and performer finding common ground foregrounds what is, perhaps, for Reynolds the most fundamental issue at stake in creating music: “I’m interested in the whole world of how music speaks — not just what it’s saying, but how it’s saying it.” Incorporating texts by Samuel Beckett and Milan Kundera, Reynolds’s aim is not to mimic the sense of the text but to be informed by his analysis of what the writer is seeking and how they construct it.

Adding another layer to these multidimensional conversations is the interplay of the acoustic instruments with live computer manipulation, realised in two of the works (those in the SHARESPACE series) by artist Paul Hembree.

Sana Nagano and Leonor Falcón – On Allegro, Sonata for Two Violins – Peach and Tomato (577 Records)

Leonor and Sana met in graduate school at Queens College in 2015, and have since collaborated in many projects. On this release, ‘Peach and Tomato,’ the duo offers fresh new compositions that display both their sense of imagination, and their deep appreciation for classical influences. This is particularly true with their version of two movements from the Prokofiev Sonata for Two Violins and the composition Etude 1 and 2, an homage to Bela Bartok and a fluent conversation between the musicians. Both movements are a refreshing example of what classical music can be today, and how it can be transformed, perceived, and respectfully reinterpreted. Other tracks are more purely experimental. Throughout, violinist Nagano and violist Falcón demonstrate their mastery of their craft. Their new album, ‘Peach and Tomato’ will be available for CD and download this August.

And….. a celebration of Cambridge bands that were released by German Shepherd Records