Sieben entrückte Lieder cs339

La percussion aérée de Michael Vorfeld et le synthé modulaire de Richard Scott forment une compagnie idéale pour les clarinettes contrebasse, basse et si-bémol de Frank Gratkowski. Vorfeld sollicitent les métaux (cymbales, petits gongs, lamelles  posés sur une table) avec l’archet ou les fines baguettes  alors que Scott semble parfois jouer de percussions accordées avec son appareil. Une intégration des sons de chacun dans ceux des autres fait que la musique est homogène d’une pièce à l’autre parmi les sept Lieder. L’électronique de Richard Scott a une dimension rythmique tout comme dans son groupe Grutronic ou son camarade Paul Obermayer du trio Bark. Il traite les sons synthétiques avec une belle dynamique. Le souffleur effleure les timbres ou égrène des intervalles de vignette en vignette, l’une plus interactive que l’autre (Kurs Haltend vs Hauch Mit). Un disque intéressant d’un groupe à écouter en concert et formé de trois artistes qui m’avaient apporté des moments remarquables, voire mémorables avec d’autres projets. Je me rappelle de l’excellent duo de percussions de Vorfeld avec Wolfgang Schliemann, Alle Neunen Rheinlander Partie sur Creative Sources, du superbe Quicksand de Gratkowski avec Lovens et Georg Gräwe sur Meniscus ou l’album mystérieux de Grutronic sur Psi. Un album CS OK . Jean-Michel van Schouwburg (Orynx)

Of these three, Michael Vorfeld is the guy I know. His music has been reviewed quite a bit in Vital Weekly; he's a percussion player with quite a reputation in the field of improvised music. I am not sure if I heard about the two others before. There is Frank Gratkowski on bass and contrabass clarinet, bb clarinet and alto saxophone (a previous work by him was reviewed in Vital Weekly 560, but not by me) and there is Richard Scott on modular synthesizer, what I call sometimes the 'new laptop' (everybody has one!). I don't think I know him. In February last year they recorded these seven pieces in Berlin, which were mixed by Scott later on. What can be noticed is that despite the use of a modular synthesizer much of these seven pieces sound like more traditional improvised music. Especially Gratkowski's
addition to the menu seems conventional to me. But also Vorfeld occasionally goes along in that way, banging the hell out of his kit. In 'Ungelöst', the sixth piece, the modular goes more upfront and the others play a much moody tune. This is the shortest piece on offer here, but for me it's also the best one. Gratkowski's contribution also seems to be the jazziest one, in a very free role of course, which makes this probably also more conventional than I would love to see. When this trio hit upon a quiet tone, a sustaining cluster, such as in 'Kurs Haltend' or that previously mentioned 'Ungelöst' there is immediately tension; I would have loved to see more of that experimental film noir music and perhaps a bit less conventional free jazz/improvised.
There is however some great bits to be found here, but not throughout. Frans de Ward (Vital Weekly)