Spaces Unfolding + Pierre Alexandre Tremblay

The Exu
The Exu
DISCUS 182 CD

A Norwegian drummer now fully embedded in the UK’s Jazz and improvised music scene, Emil Karlsen has maintained the position because of his ability to bring the proper rhythmic designs to each situation. These recent sessions confirm this. Shadow Figures features the drummer as part of the Free Music Spaces Unfolding trio with creative London-based veterans flutist Neil Metcalfe and violinist Philipp Wachsmann plus a guest, Canadian electronic musician Pierre Alexandre Tremblay. As much Free Jazz as the other disc is Free Music, the eponymously titled The Exu disc features the drummer, Irish bassist Dave Kane and British saxophonist James Mainwaring,

Just as the other band establishes its identity right at the top with blaring reed ejaculations, so Shadow Figures does so in a completely contrasting manner with almost inaudible string plinks, flute trills, hollow drum pops and vague buzzing oscillations. By the time the second iteration of the title tune arrives though the narrative opens up as crackling oscillations and stentorian drum pressure intensify to frame the violinist gradually stretching the exposition with pizzicato plucks and string stops.

From that point on multiple themes, pivots, processes and counterpoints are explored in different combinations with quartet affiliations the most common, though usually with the most low-key interactions. The majority of tracks are also in two parts with the sculpted narratives exposing alternative variations of dark and luminous, light and heavy textures. Least upfront of the four, Metcalfe’s transverse peeps and sweeps are heard most clearly on “Reflect/Reflex Pt. 1” and “Reflect/Reflex Pt 2”. Ending with bird-like trills these sweeps help regularize sul ponticello string wrenches and drum smacks as the buzz of electronics comes in and out of aural focus.

Elsewhere Wachsmann frequently extends strained squeaks, reverberating twangs, echoing formalism and even flat-line interludes to dovetail with or dispute Karlsen’s percussion invention, This takes the form of press rolls, slaps, rumbles and a sequence on “Refraction Pt. 1” where he confronts harsh fiddle flanges with a combination of woody and plastic sounding pops. Tremblay’s granular synthesis bubbles and drones just below hearing levels with his splashes and splooshes more affirmative chorus than full partner.

This remains true even on duos with the single players on the widely spaced three-parts of “In Praise Of Shadows”. Jammed door-like squeaks, electrified hisses and wavering whistles bring out electronic drum suggestions, expressive beats and gong resonations from Karlsen. Unperturbed flute peeps positioned above voltage oscillations mark Tremblay’s duo with Metcalfe. The Tremblay-Wachsmann duet raises the most heat as the violinist’s formalist sweeps eventually ascend to speedier slides as the electronic whooshes intensify.

There are no electric instruments on The Exu’s dozen tracks, but intense electricity isn’t lacking. Fully in Free Jazz mode, Karlsen smashes, paddles, rolls and pumps with enough torque to match the constant overblowing and split tones of Mainwaring, who has playing with John Law; and the effective and measured string throbs from Kane, who has recorded with Paul Dunmall.

With explosive pushes and patterns, the saxophonist appears willing to explore every variation, expansion and atom of each particular tune, with generous scoops, stentorian blares and repeated bent notes. Not shy, the bassist underlines nearly every sonic thrust with sluices, stops and swells. Meanwhile the drummer’s Mylar battering and cymbals reverb remain constant. A tincture of horizontal motion remains in the tune as well, since the head is often recapped at the finale.

Although Mainwaring’s machine-gunned multiphonics on tracks such as “B4B” often seem unstoppable, broken chord connection often leads to a transition towards a linear pulse. The bassist introduces some of the tracks, or as on “The Field Next to the Road” plucks away at top of scale in tandem with pressurized reed notes which here take on a bagpipe-like drone, leaving space for a Metal-like string solo on top of drum echoes. Furthermore while some tracks like “Bug Glass” start off cool and collected, before mid-point is reached a combination of  spetrofluctuation, crammed multiphoinics and tongue stops from Mainwaring dissect timbres until they’re somewhat sutured by repeated upward drum patterns.

This meld of saxophone staccato squeaks, singular bites and screaming altissimo runs is present on “Versus Medici”, the disc’s longest tracks. Yet here the emphasized inner-horn whines and triple tonguing are given space to refract to a near-lyrical exposition when restrained by clipping drum paradiddles and a steady double bass pulse.

Exemplary in reflecting Free Jazz in all its rugged, pumped and concentrated appeal, The Exu’s one drawback is brevity, Since the lengthiest track clocks in at a mere five minutes, wider space for each player to expand his musical parameters would have presented a fuller view of the band.

Both discs here are characteristic and each indicates a distinct aspect of Karlsen’s drumming style.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Shadow: 1. Shadow Figures Pt.1 2. Shadow Figures Pt. 2. 3. In Praise Of Shadows Pt. 1 4. Refraction Pt. 1 5. Refraction Pt. 2 6. Echoes Of Being Pt. 1 7. Echoes Of Being Pt. 2 8. Praise of Shadows Pt 2 9. Reflect/Reflex Pt. 1 10. Reflect/Reflex Pt. 2 11. In Praise Of Shadows Pt. 3

Personnel: Shadow: Neil Metcalfe (flute); Philipp Wachsmann (violin); Emil Karlsen (drums) and Pierre Alexandre Tremblay (electronics)

Track Listing: Exu: 1. Riddle Me This 2. Know Time 3. B4B 4. Pancakes 5. Waffles  6. That’ll Do It! 7. The Field Next to the Road 8. Kurt (For Kurt Cobain) 9. Versus Medici 10. Bug Glass 11. In That Case 12. Berne It Up (For Tim Berne)

Personnel: James Mainwaring (tenor, alto and soprano saxophones); Dave Kane (bass) and Emil Karlsen (drums)