Bertrand Denzler / Léo Dupleix

Yet another configuration featuring French tenor saxophonist Bertrand Denzler, Plateaux is unlike many of the barbed Free Music sessions he’s recorded with bands such as Hubbub and Trio Sowari. With Paris-born Léo Dupleix, who composes notated music for the likes of the Suidobashi Chamber Ensemble and uses sonic elements to improvise, the disc is mostly concerned with the overlap among lowing reed pitches and the vibrations produced by a bass drum and digital organ.

Creating together since 2017, the duo works through three tracks where the texture of the undulation is more important than movement. Although there are brief identifiable split tones and tonguing on some parts of the tracks, Denzler’s instrument is less prominent than Dupleix’s, since the ranks, stops and pressure available from the dual keyboards are more adaptable to constituting undulating drones than a saxophone’s reed. While ratcheting echoes, cross-saw-like buzzes and expanded tremors are usually combined within the expositions, the tunes aren’t without diversity. Compressed silences mark shifts in the timbres and as tones are emphasized as they accelerate and diminish, slight differences become apparent. It’s similar to how a careful examination of the line and brush strokes in a supposedly all-black painting reveals slight variations. Along with these almost hidden differences, there’s a sense during the tracks’ evolution, that palimpsest-like other sonic layers lurk beneath the placid surface.

During a couple of sequences what seems to be replication of the doors closing and train starting of the Paris Métro can be heard. But while jolting that’s just part of the unfolding narrative. Similarly while there’s a touch of Phantom of the Opera-like dual keyboard excess and some reed flattement, the purpose of the session isn’t to promote individuality. Instead a clue to the function comes from the definition of “Tessiture” the final track’s title. Described as the most comfortable range to create characteristic timbres Dupleix and Denzler have done just that. Without reliance on melody, harmony or rhythm, they’ve come up with a fascinating program of hypnotic variations.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Plateaux 2. Positif 3. Tessiture

Personnel: Bertrand Denzler (tenor saxophone) and Léo Dupleix (digital organ and vibrating bass drum)