Trails cs832

Continuing with some commonalities from previous textural explorations around electronics, e.g. Especially For You (reviewed last September) & Fields (reviewed in March), the new Trails both parallels the title of the latter, i.e. also from Creative Sources (although with no performers in common...), and again features Erhard Hirt (b.1951) in quartet per the former. However, whereas both of those prior releases involved Harri Sjöström, Trails (recorded in Berlin this April) doesn't involve horns, as Hirt (e-guitar, electronics) is joined there by Richard Scott (also on electronics), Klaus Kürvers (double bass) & Willi Kellers (drums & percussion). Electronics were already doubled by Paul Lytton on Especially For You (& before that in fiery "free" quartet Xpact...), while here the "acoustic material" comes from a traditional rhythm team, i.e. some real thump versus the sometimes more ethereal high ranges of Especially For You.... (Although regarding commonalities, do note that a bowed string is found in each of the quartets mentioned here.) To that end, besides appearing here most recently with Offshore Adventures (reviewed January 2023), Kürvers had already released Weiterbauen (recorded in Berlin last October) with Hirt (there also on dobro at times) & Creative Sources regular (especially with "string quartet" Dis/con/sent, as most recently reviewed here with München in December...) Dietrich Petzold (on violin, etc.): Besides the strings, that album — appearing on Acheulian Handaxe earlier this year (i.e. the label that'd released Xpact II already in 2021, before it was released by FMR...), now released (including physical CD) by Creative Sources... — is sometimes acoustic, and especially percussive around pizzicato.... It can also be relatively rambling, paring to a main line at various points (e.g. featuring violin), coming from many odd angles & perhaps even suggesting novelty for the sake of novelty. Trails is then even longer (well over an hour...), generally maintaining a broad & active texture, but also seemingly involving much novelty per se as well: There're various striking sections, such that I feel compelled to note the album, but the overall result is affectively incoherent. In any case, to continue the performer relations, Scott was a regular here for a while, but (alas) hasn't been featured since We Still Have Bodies (reviewed August 2018), while the distinguished Kellers does continue his prolific activity, e.g. here on the striking Conundrum (quintet with piano, reviewed October 2023). Also, I found only one earlier album in common (surprisingly) between Petzold & Kürvers, Hexagon with Ernesto Rodrigues (mentioned here in December 2018). And now for some spontaneous reactions to the mostly sustained four-way activity on Trails, generally undertaken with continuity (& also with little change for track breaks...): Burbling, grinding, growling, sparkling, swelling, chirping, bending, rumbling... invoking a big sense of space & depth (e.g. the echo of bass drums...), busy — as Hirt continues to be an endlessly creative texturalist. Todd McComb's Jazz Thoughts

„Trails” introduces a liquid organism emulated by four fluent improvisors familiar with rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, ponds, puddles, seas, and oceans of all sounds imaginable. These can be dripping, gushing, flowing, floating, evaporating, rushing, running, still. These can be many, and they can be one. Enter the floating-fun-tank of audible multifarious enlightenment, just follow the trails. (Markus Müller)