Axel Dorner & Robin Hayward
Absinth
005
Initially, I was a bit disappointed to see that this was recorded in the spring of 2001, right around the time of the Phosphor disc on Potlatch. I’d have liked (and still would like) to hear a more recent example of their work and felt that I had a reasonably good idea of what to expect on this one. Well, yes and no.
Wayne Spencer did a fine job recapping Berlin reductionist history in his review at Stylus Magazine, so I’ll happily stick purely to the music. Four pieces: two longer improvisations, two shorter compositions, the latter not altogether surprising given Dorner’s participation in the Zeitkratzer project. I think my expectations played a few tricks on my listening ability the first couple of times through. While there are certainly the sort of breath tones and soft valve-clacking that you might anticipate, you (or, at least, I) have to shift aural gear a notch or two to hear both the contrasts between the generated textures and the placement of tones alongside each other that make much of this music stand out as something special. There’s also, on closer listening, more granularity and roughness (not to mention volume) than I might have expected and that’s all to the good; the play of sandy whispers, silence and liquid gurgles about six minutes into the opening track, for instance, captures all of these attacks wonderfully. The second improv opens with more activity, a series of ping-ponging ricochets in a tightly enclosed space, Hayward sculpting startlingly violent and metallic bursts from his horn. A brief shift to hushed wheezes billows into a sandstorm, pitting the brass and scorching the ears before wearily expiring. Both are strong pieces that hold interest and then some.
The two composed pieces occupy tangential territory. Hayward’s brief (under two minutes) “skylines” offers linear spurts, generally in the lower registers, and silences. For me, it’s too much of a miniature, too small a snapshot to register as very much. Dorner’s “werchlich”, on the other hand, is a gorgeous piece. The opening trumpet tones recall, of all things, Leo Smith and the piece unfolds in a manner very slightly reminiscent of some early 70s Braxton works. Though no score is included, one can almost picture a graphic notation of a sequence of paired cursive lines generally (but not always) equal in length, wafting upwards or downwards, sometimes diverging, once erupting into a spray of icy splinters. There’s a calm, processional feel to it, a lovely pacing and placement of tones. It’s a special kind of piece and closes out an all around excellent recording.
More info at: http://www.absinthrecords.com.
~ Brian Olewnick
Posted by Brian Olewnick on March 9, 2005 3:23 PMYes! Granularity!
Posted by: ND at March 9, 2005 7:29 PMnice record, as I've said elsewhere already.
someone should talk to Axel about reissuing his self-burned and distributed solo discs of maybe 5-6 years back, predating the A Bruit Secret release. they stand with anything he's released since, and would fit very well on a double CD.
Posted by: jon abbey at March 9, 2005 8:42 PMJon, curious, are those solo Axel albums closer in cast to Raphé Malik’s SPEAKEASY or Greg Kelley’s TRUMPET?
Posted by: derek at March 10, 2005 5:29 AMnever heard Raphe Malik solo, but my guess would be the latter. they're definitely not jazz-based, if that's what you're asking...
Posted by: jon abbey at March 10, 2005 6:58 AMThanks, Jon. So they're free improv? Just trumpet, or electronics too?
Posted by: derek at March 10, 2005 7:13 AMthey're solo trumpet. he only started with electronics in recent years in certain contexts, and usually all he does with his laptop is process trumpet sounds, no outside sound sources.
Posted by: jon abbey at March 10, 2005 7:47 AMCool.
Posted by: derek at March 10, 2005 8:54 AMIf they're as good as the ABS stuff - sad to learn that label is winding up operations btw - I'd like to hear them. But right now I'm busy with another Dörnerfest, the 3CD Monk's Casino project with Schlippenbach, Mahall et al. on Intakt. Heard that one yet (Derek)? Apart from one strange blast of Axelphonics, he plays it straight & Booker Little-like all the way through, and it kicks ass. Certainly one for Mr Kelsey to hunt down, if he hasn't been hunted down himself by some member of the EAI yakuza. "Police found a large submarine sandwich, a cream bun with a cherry on top and a severed thumb at the scene of the crime. A copy of Dusty Springfield's "Dusty in Memphis" was found spinning on the victim's stereo when the body was discovered.."
Posted by: Dan Warburton at March 10, 2005 10:02 PMactually, our hitmen are all supplied with Peter Sarstedt, original vinyl. :)
"sad to learn that label is winding up operations btw "
wow, that does suck. any more details you can share on that? it's brutal out there...
Posted by: jon abbey at March 10, 2005 10:58 PM"Police found a large submarine sandwich, a cream bun with a cherry on top and a severed thumb at the scene of the crime. A copy of Dusty Springfield's "Dusty in Memphis" was found spinning on the victim's stereo when the body was discovered.."
waoou, dan is back :-)
BTW,
This Axel-Robin duo is very exciting.
"wow, that does suck. any more details you can share on that? it's brutal out there..."
About A bruit Secret label (ABS)
It's a long time that Michel Henritzi has financial problems with his label. Unsurprisingly, sales are very difficult... and I know what I'm talking about :-(
I saw Michel last week. He told me that he has cancelled some projects he had, for instance saxophone solos with Stephanes Rives, Thomas Ankersmit, Bertrand Denzler and Jean-Luc Guionnet.
Michel wants to play music more and more. He has a duo with Fabrice Eglin (recent CD on Absurd) and he plays in Dust Breeders (CD on Starlight furniture). Nevertheless, he will try to release several other different projects during 2005, including stuff with Bruce Russell, Donald Miller, Tetuzi Akiyama and Taku Sugimoto. But I hope and wish he can keeps on producing CDs. A good news for him (sometimes, it happens), last week he had an order from Forced Exposure, so it can help him. (BTW and a bit off-topics, it's amazingly difficult for french labels to be distributed by FE, and I don't understand that).
I heard a bunny was spotted fleeing the crime scene.
Posted by: walto at March 11, 2005 6:12 AM" Certainly one for Mr Kelsey to hunt down, if he hasn't been hunted down himself by some member of the EAI yakuza. "
i ve faced " Yakuza troubles in music" actually already but that wasnt in these eras INDEED ... i think we d all agree to say they dont give a F...CK at all , yes.
i dont mind Yaku though ... they just miss a tiny bit.
n
PS : but WORLD police of NICE and GOOD WORDS
doesnt allow me to write any FFFFFF, or SSSSSS or LLLLLLLL or SHHHHHH or SUUUUU or CKKKKKKK
words ( sounds very F... EAI....CK like )
i m pretty soon about to Clear a box of EAI CD s actually ( well not quite EAI to me ... or not enough EAI ? ) , EBAYERS are welcome
cheers
n
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