The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters

Blending the improvised textures of musicians’ instruments from four different countries plus electronic timbres, The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters quartet aims to subvert conventions on its eponymously titled CD. Straddling the boundaries of ecstatic Jazz, noise rock, pure improv and intensified electronics are the expanded reed techniques of Danish alto saxophonist Mette Rasmussen; the electronic transformations of Italian piccolo trumpeter Gabriele Mitelli; Austrian drummer Lukas Koenig’s skilful application of drums, amplified cymbal and bass synthesizer; as well as the crackles, extensions and mutations from British-Iranian Mariam Rezaei’s turntables.

Each player is experienced in sound altering with ensembles like Klangforum Wien, the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra, Pipeline 8 and Fire! Orchestra as well as smaller configurations. So the realized challenge depends on how cannily they integrate textures without letting any one genre dominate.

Quite well is the answer since the voice snatches, flange rotation and static implications of the turntables with additional synthesized and processed whooshes and ornamentation logically complement acoustic interactions.

Rasmussen is the main voice here, often emphasizing horizontal expositions as respite from her atonal forays which encompass squeaks, bites, buzzes, smears and snarls. As her output is constant and connected throughout, Mitelli takes an antithetical approach. Seemingly making guest appearances, his playing is rarely portamento, instead expressed in elevated triplets or brassy prestissimo spears, usually contrast with the saxophonist’s descending lines.

Koenig’s assemblage of ruffs, rolls and rumbles sequence and centre the tracks, with his pivots to amplification and synthesizer tones adding to the electronic programming and turntable extensions. Almost every track is underlined by motor grumbles, unexpected watery whooshes, whistling oscillations and indistinct voice interjections.

What that means is that on tracks such as “In the silence of struggle, we find each other on common ground”, the thick nearly opaque electronic drone is pierced by a harmonic horn interlude, then intensified with dog-whistle peeps as acoustic techniques intersect with comprehensive drum patterns vibrated buzzes.

In contrast, tracks like the concluding  “With love, TSORPM” emphasizes metallic trumpet triplets, dot-dash expositions and  shakes over reed flat lines that modulate alongside drum pops and timbral programming where mechanical thumps buffer raspberries, vocal mumbles and stutters.

One may have wanted solos that outline the distinctive qualities of each player, but as an exercise in group electro-acoustic creation, the results here seem unsurpassed.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. When light hits the retina 2. Truth vs. superficiality, truth without compromise 3. Those who stand together for a battle unknowingly find themselves at the same point at the same time 4. Right is a thing within 5. In the silence of struggle, we find each other on common ground 6. Beyond words: the unseen power of the people 7. ‘reason’ 8. I said no 9. With love, TSORPM

Personnel: Gabriele Mitelli (piccolo trumpet, electronics, voice); Mette Rasmussen (alto saxophone); Lukas Koenig (drums, amplified cymbal and bass synth) and Mariam Rezaei (turntables)