Kaiser/Phillip/Tammen/Wissel

A controlled consideration of the meshed properties of electro-acoustic improvisation, four German sound makers concoct and contrast generated timbers during eight distinctive but enigmatically titled tracks. Bassist Ulrich Phillipp has recorded with the likes of Philip Zoubek and Urs Leimgruber among others; and Georg Wissel, has played his augmented alto saxophonist with innovators such as Etienne Nillesen and Matthew Goodheart. Matthias Kaiser, who uses prepared and amplified violins, has worked with Reinhold Friedl and Paul Lytoon; while Hans Tammen, who lives in the New York area has worked with everyone from Jason Kao Hwang to Nicola L. Hein. Often a guitarist, what he contributes to Turbulences are the unclassifiable vibrations of a blippoo box, a dual oscillator and audio sound generator that via chaos theory consistently changes sound output.

In spite of the techno-horror instrumental definitions, the quartet easily functions as it would in an acoustic setting. While Tammen introduces modulations that can resemble anything from radio wave signals to lapping water, as well as timed squeaks, crackles and fizz, a decided percussion continuum periodically arrives from Phillipp’s thick strokes. Stretching the interface without cleavage, Kaiser squeezes, stops and stretches his strings, while Wissel’s augmentations encompass growls, slurps, unvarying trembles and slide whistle-like peeps.

Often, as on “Advice the crew and let them deal with it”, thick bass string stops bookend the improvisation which encompasses segmented, stirred and sutured reed duck quacks and bird tweets, pumps and resonations from the box and stinging violin string dynamics.

Sound creation is also sometimes unsegmented, unstoppable and unidentifiable. Yet on more extended variations like “Hot-wire anemometers” percussion-like suggestions, strained fiddle spawls, col legno double bass pressure and irregular reed twitters and puffs come together for sonic characterization.

Living up to its title, Turbulences isn’t relaxed or ambient listening. But following the outflow and mixture of individual ideas is a reward in itself.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Pot holes in the sky 2. Trying to find a smoother ride 3. The experience of negative g-force I 4. Hot-wire anemometers 5. The experience of negative g-force II 6. Advice the crew and let them deal with it 7. Cessna 152 in gusts of 50 knots 8. You hit your head if you are walking down the Isle

Personnel: Georg Wissel (augmented alto saxophone); Matthias Kaiser (prepared and amplified violin); Ulrich Phillipp (bass) and Hans Tammen (Hordijk blippoo box)