Andrew Sharpley / Quentin Rollet

Inclusion Principle

The 4, the 8, the 10

Discus 110 CD

Overcoming the need to maintain appropriate distance during Covid19 is done with less cleavage by ensembles used to electro-acoustic improvising like these. Both duos encompass mixing synthesized, pre-recorded material and acoustic sounds, yet with dedicated technology neither is unlike what would arise from modern studio programs. The back story for each diverges though.

Inclusion Principle’s fifth collaborative album by Sheffield, UK-based reeds and software experts Martin Archer and Hervé Perez proves what accomplished sound designers the two have become during the duo’s 15 year existence. Adding percussion samples to the mix, the two manipulate and program multiple instrument and voltages for spacious or packed improvised instances. Meanwhile, notwithstanding that British computer expert Andrew Sharpley and Paris-based saxophonist Quentin Rollet have known each other for two decades this is their first joint disc. Both were previously involved with bands like Stock, Hausen & Walkman and Zombie Zombie. The New Me was created by Sharpley in his UK studio by adding electronic oscillations to Rollet’s Paris-recorded saxophone parts.

While there’s no shortage of oscillated crashes, crinkles and buzzing during Rollet-Sharpley’s six tracks, there are also patched-in-and-out field recorded samples and intense reed elaborations. While the selected saxophone tropes encompass ascending altissimo screams, tongue slaps and fragmenting multiphonics. that doesn’t preclude logical evolution or inferences from both players. There’s a point on “EM3” for instance during which Rollet appears to be playing a Bizzaro variant on “Miles Ahead”. Tracks like “Placeholder” and “421” may include fragmented reed shrills and fluctuating percussion-like pops and strums, but they hold onto the convention of recapping at the finale the rocket-launching like tones that begin the tracks. Dancing electric keyboard-styled tremolos and strident sopranino tweets may be showcased at various times. But the key to the performances is sonic kinship not kinetics. Overall the disparate sound sources stabilize into horizontal story-telling.

There’s similar story-telling on The 4, the 8, the 10. Yet with Archer commanding timbres from 11 instruments and Perez ones from eight, these sonic fabrics can be stretched many more ways during the CD’s eight tracks. Despite a few tremors that seem unable to shake off their programmed genesis, the duo allows the initial tracks to evolve intertwined interactions built on tremolo reed trills sliding against drum-like smacks, keyboard vibrations and guitar-like twangs. There’s even a sequence on “Object of Refutation” where a swing interlude is heard built up from organ-like tremors, flowing reed puffs and drum slaps. At the same time despite programmed swills and jitters constantly hanging in the background, maximal currents never bury minimalist evolution.

The spacious three-part “Ornament of Light” suite is the main focus though, with more than 20 of the sequence’s 37 minutes taken up by its mid-section “In Praise of Dependent Origination”. Its shape is foretold by the first section where a lonely saxophone cry works its way through on-and-off voltage pulsation only to speed up in the final section to reed snorts that harmonize with burping programming. The final “Precious Garland” serves as summation and coda that synthesizes into dissolving polyphonic resonations previously heard buzzes, percussion thumps and reed cries. There’s also enough space on “Ornament of Light Pt 2 – In Praise of Dependent Origination” to build up a textural kaleidoscope of affiliated flatulent hiccups, tremolo keyboard sweeps, processed percussion and saxophone buzzes into a modulated exposition. After distant shakuhachi trills move to the foreground so too do high-pitched, electronic tweets and twitters, whose diverse expressions become squeakier and squeakier. This sets up “Ornament of Light Pt 3 – Precious Garland” that sums up and eases the program to its conclusion.

While it has decimated live concerts and movement, the pandemic has let some sophisticated sound mixers intensify or evolve novel electro-acoustic improvisational-compositional creativity. Coming from alternate points of origin, these notable discs define what can be accomplished.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: New: 1. EM3 2. loop 3. Placeholder 4. 421 5. Y 6. Asymmetric

Personnel: New: Quentin Rollet (alto and sopranino saxophones) and Andrew Sharpley (computer)

Track Listing: The: 1. A Dark Night Ahead of Us 2. Intermediate Space 3. Arising and Passing Away 4. Gentle Persuasion 5. Object of Refutation 6. Ornament of Light Pt 1 – Entering the Middle Way 7. Ornament of Light Pt 2 – In Praise of Dependent Origination 8. Ornament of Light Pt 3 – Precious Garland

Personnel: The: Martin Archer (sopranino, soprano, baritone saxophones, clarinet, flute, recorder, chimes, organ, electric piano, synths and software) and Hervé Perez (field recordings, sound design, beats and keys programming, electronics, alto, soprano saxophones, shakuhachi)