Spinors

Part of the gestalt that links human mouth and throat caterwauling to equally intense instrumental improvisation Masual is particularly noteworthy because the human noises are part of the ingrained expositions. Spinors’ members categorically avoid the too common trap of allowing the voice to dominate making instrumentalists mere accompanists. Naturally the Berlin-based players who make up the trio have much creative music experience. Vocal performance artist Alex Nowitz has been involved with dance and theatre projects as well as ones with musicians like Antonis Anissegos and Meinrad Kneer. Also a custom-made instrument maker, guitarist Sukandar Kartadinata also plays with Axel Dörner and Liz Albee among others. Meanwhile bassist Matthias Bauer has worked with everyone from Conrad Bauer to Lina Allemano. Both Nowitz and Kartadinata add electronics to the mix.

Folding his near gibberish mumbles, cheek pops, strained cries and vibrated gurgles into the mix, Nowitz also expands his vocal palate with live electronics. That means that a buzzing oscillation or distorted wave form is as often triggered by his gestures as the guitarist’s dial twisting or string flanges. Thus besides col legno string pressure and arco string stabs, it’s Bauer’s tolling pulse which ensures that the narratives maintain horizontal impetus.

Challenged by careful guitar picking and double bass stops, “Homotopic” is still the most voltage intense track with laptop powering up twangs and radio tuning static predominant. But these oscillated whizzes don’t overpower Nowitz’s nephritic grunts or yelping babble or Bauer’s paced continuum. In contrast, the extended “Peripatetic” opens up enough so that the voice artist’s ability to emphasize bel canto lyricism, aviary twitters and renal growls along with pseudo-retching and bellicose speaking-in-tongues can be highlighted. Strained spiccato bowing and guitar amp drones also break up the interface , though all eventually consolidates at the finale.

Besides forging close timbral cooperation, Masual gives a new progressive meaning to a phrase like vocal and instrumental music.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Superfluid 2. Peripatetic 3. Peripheral 4. Homotopic

Personnel: Sukandar Kartadinata (guitar and electronics); Matthias Bauer (bass) and Alex Nowitz (voice and gesture-controlled live electronics)