KWCW

Take Steve Reid, master jazz percussionist who once played sessions with Miles Davis, and in Kieran Hebden, expert manipulator of tape loops and electronic effects who composes under the name Four Tet, and what do you get? Though the possibilities seem endless, the answer is deceptively simple. You get three tracks, spanning roughly 37 minutes of seamlessly synthesized experimentation. The tracks are complex without being overbearing, structured without being monotonous, and balanced without stifling improvisation. Reid’s drums and Hebden’s computer share the spotlight, alternating focus between the two in a series of solos interspersed within the compositions. Granted, some people will be put off by the periodic moments of grating dissonance, when the duo throw sounds together in such a harsh manner that it almost hurts to listen. But, these stretches are short lived and serve as an essential contrast with the more sonorous portions. Basically transition points, when these “freakouts” are brought back under control, the sound is very similar to that before the spastic session, but slightly different. And it is these slight nuances which power the progression of sound through these dauntingly long tracks, and it is this progression which turns experimental soundscapes into a deftly interwoven masterpieces of free jazz, from two excellent composers.

However, the key to the enjoying this album isn’t actually found in the music itself, but in the way that you hear it. If you let it sink into the background, the rhythm of the percussion settling in the back of your mind, while the electronic loops add slight nuances but still remain an afterthought, then, the music will all blend together, the progression will be lost. And what will you be left with? You will be jolted back into active listenership by the sporadic moments of dissonance, and that will be all that you see in the music. These moments of harsh clashing will be the only aspects which capture your attention, and since these are not beautiful in themselves, you will be left with a bitter taste, never wanting to give this album a listen again. To truly appreciate an album like this, you need to pay attention, keying into the intricacies of Hebden and Reid’s ideas. And if your willing to put the effort in, the album with open up to you and you’ll find yourself wanting to listen to it again once you reach the end of a track, even just to remember the way the sound started, before the evolutionary magic.

-Alan

This entry was posted on Friday, March 3rd, 2006 at 2:00 am and is filed under Jazz. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.