Barre Phillips/György Kurtág jr.

More of a realized experiment than a full-fledged program, the dozen brief tracks here mark veteran American bassist Barre Phillips first accommodation with the electronics produced by Hungarian keyboardist György Kurtág jr. Using three stand-alone synthesizers and digital percussion, Kurtág burbles, drones and vibrates ever-evolving oscillations with textures ranging from the daunting to the delicate.

All the while the bassist, whose improvisational experience goes back to the early 1960s, crafts parallel constructs that involve every part of his instrument during tracks that are timed from 90 seconds to nearly 4½ minutes. The bassist uses techniques such as col legno string bounces or pressurized sul ponticello bow slices to cut through the often confined density from  the machines generated programming. Occasionally, as on the penultimate “Sharpen Your Eyes” and “Ruptured Air”, more melodic suggestions are introduced with woody slaps from the bass meeting recorder-like peeps from the synthesizer on the former, and low-pitched string twangs evolving alongside high-pitched synthesized wriggles on the album describing second title.

Overall, since Phillips can also finesse textures among other motifs encompassing measured violin-like runs and banjo-like clangs, the expanding programmed pressure never becomes oppressive. Genuinely fascinating, at points, the disc also clarifies how acoustic and electronic timbres can unfold face à face with each prominent in its own space.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Beyond 2. The Under Zone 3. Two By Two 4. Across The Aisle 5. Algobench 6. Chosen Spindle 7. Extended Circumstances 8. Bunch 9. Sharpen Your Eyes 10. Ruptured Air 11. Stand Alone 12. Forest Shouts

Personnel: Barre Phillip (bass) and György Kurtág jr. (electronics

–for The Whole Note April-May 2023