bszent hun |cs078

I wonder if we have reached a point in which one can define a “Creative Sources sound”, despite the fact that every CD released by the Portuguese imprint - whether you like it or not - is gifted with something that differentiates it from other (vaguely) similar outings. One of the most frequent shades according to this view is the wheezing voice of a toneless wind instrument, in this case Cirotteau’s trumpet, which could easily become a commonplace and in certain instances it has indeed. Not in this disc, though, as its presence remains discreet even when the timbre becomes more substantial, if this makes any sense; but does any description have a meaning in improvisation-based albums? Still questioning myself on this matter. Drury’s floor tom growls and rolls, joining the party with the intent of becoming a major attraction, while Matthews’s synthetic software generates spurious steam, intermittent waves of abnormality and bleeping niceties. Three completely different methods, three singular voices that manage to develop an instant jargon which - you guessed right - sounds typically Creative Sources. A stance is needed here, and mine has been clear since years: I keep appreciating the unconstraint that these “strange noises” transmit, with a single advice to Ernesto “The Boss” Rodrigues: always maintain the level this high, without giving access to people who use the label for being acknowledged in the free music world, yet couldn’t play a fart to save their lives. “Bszent Hun” is excellent stuff all the way, showing several of the necessary attributes to be a part of this family. Massimo Ricci (Touching Extremes)

This trio's language is that spoken by many actual electro-acoustic musicians, they use it really well without leaving every possible "verbal" solution unexplored. Weapons this time are floor tom, objects, trumpet, electronics and yes, as you could have guessed yourself it's really abstract, above all if you consider also the trumpet is not involved in the emission of what you usually may consider a "normal" note, but this' not a peculiarity of this work since it's the lowest common denominator of the most of the releases of the genre. This cd starts really softly and grows (in every sense) with the passing of tracks, and it grows for good infact the fourteen minutes circa of Kyeur see the trio involved in taming what becomes one of the most expressive combination of Bszent Hun. Talking about a general change of dynamics of the release is pertinent if we focus on the whole central part, by the way don 't consider it just a dynamic progression for it would be a big mistake, infact they've been smart to put together a tracklist where they quiet down the atmosphere right when you need it. In general we can say the unvoiced playing of the first half of the cd is left for an electro-acoustic selection of jams that have a louder/stronger voice. In general the selection of sounds the play is quite sharp and low frequencies are less present but don't expect it to be a collection of sharp sounds as if Pan Sonic were involved into electro-acoustic impros. Andrea Ferraris (Chain DLK)

Splintering rhythmic timbres apart into their simplest, most primeval and discordant pulses, percussionist Andrew Drury isn’t bothered by the struggle involved in exploring textures beyond conventional melody and harmony to expose unique pulses and beats.
Seattle-born, but now Brooklyn-based, the percussionist has in the past distinguished himself both as a composer and as a participant in large ensembles led by the likes of arranger Laura Andel and in smaller groups with trumpeter Nate Wooley and violinist Jason Kao Hwang. But the two CDs here are even more revealing.
Stripping his kit down to little more than floor tom and un-lathed Wuhan cymbals, plus objects such as bow, dustpan, aluminum sheet and bamboo skewers, Drury uses sticks, mallets, hands, fingernails and palms to extend two traditions – one is energetic noise improvisation; and the other a personal one invoking family roots in building construction going back 600 years.
[...] But the advantage of Bszent Hun is that he mixes his percussion techniques with musical contributions from Toulouse-born experimental trumpeter Sébastien Cirotteau and Franco-American, Madrid-based Wade Matthews, who manipulates software synthesis.
Similarly reductionist in its output, Cirotteau’s brass instrument becomes no more than an arrangement of lead pipe, valves, bell and mouthpiece, any portion of which can operate separately and where timbres can be eviscerated at will. At points, staccato breaths and squeals make common cause with blurry whooshes and pitter-patter, dripping water-like tones from Matthews’ software, all of which is surmounted by Drury’s percussion.
Expressing unforced variants of a percussionist’s art, Drury’s strokes also encompass scrapes, buzzes and drones from drum tops; plus more delicate interface that could be glass tubes gently struck or perhaps caged hamsters whirling a wheel on a hard surface. Elsewhere slaps and rolls play up the percussion’s rough wooden finishes, with similar discord created by gouging drumsticks on unattached cymbals.
Overall, the inchoate friction correspondingly involves continuous growling tongue action and yips from Cirotteau’s horn as well as computer flanges that showcases fortissimo whirls, whirrs and buzzes from Matthews.
Polyphonically the interface brings these elements to a fevered boil with “Kyeur”, the longest and most descriptive track. As Drury noisily vibrates objects on the ground, the trumpeter expels high-pitched peeps and the software burbles aviary-like among a cloud of clicks and squeaks. When the percussionist introduces spiccato metallic friction Matthews responds with software-created pulses predominate whose chunky chords resemble a cross between a vacuum cleaner whine and the pulsations of a gigantic church organ. This undercurrent of ever-spinning looped sounds finally subsides as Drury wipes and swipes his objects and the trumpeter exposes a conclusive mouthpiece kiss.
[...] Not for everyone – nor should they be – this CD demonstrate how the definition of experimental, and creative percussion exists, is expressed and is extended by one talented drummer in the 21st Century. Ken Waxman (Jazz Word)