Record Reviews

EDER ~ UND WAS IST MIT MIR? WHYPLAYJAZZ 006 (Barcode: 4050486062128) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2011 Released: 2012 This is the debut album by the young German quartet EderFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Johannes MoritzFind albums by this artist, guitarist Felix FranzkeFind albums by this artist, bassist Hendrik KrauseFind albums by this artist and drummer Friedemann PrussFind albums by this artist. Two additional musicians also participate on selected tracks: DJ IllvibeFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Vincent von SchlippenbachFind albums by this artist, son of the legendary pianist Alexander von SchlippenbachFind albums by this artist) and saxophonist Niklas KraftFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, four by Franzke, three by Krause, one by Moritz and one credited to the entire quartet with DJ Illvibe. The music of Eder is a strange mixture of Jazz improvisation, Rock rhythms, Hip Hop, ambient and many other less apparent elements. The overall atmosphere is rather dark and depressing, the sound muddy and muffled, in short this is more an alternative Rock album with some Jazz influences rather than a bona fide Jazz or even Jazz-Rock Fusion outing. Although the album has its moments and is definitely non-trivial, it lacks focus and sounds largely as a continuous searching, rather than getting somewhere. Of course there is nothing wrong with experimenting and searching, but in this case they are somewhat tedious and non-engaging. The individual performances by the group members are also unimpressive and fragmented, so there is little to draw the listener´s attention. Of course this is just my personal impression and other listeners might have a different opinion. This is after all a debut album, so the band deserves a chance to be heard again in the future, hopefully with a more solid material and focused statement.

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AKI TAKASE JAPANIC ~ THEMA PRIMA BMC 268 (Barcode: 5998309302688) ~ JAPAN ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by Japanese (resident in Berlin) pianist / composer Aki TakaseFind albums by this artist and her ensemble JapanicFind albums by this artist, which includes German saxophonist Daniel ErdmannFind albums by this artist, turntablist / electronicist DJ IllvibeFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Vincent von SchlippenbachFind albums by this artist son of Alexander von SchlippenbachFind albums by this artist), bassist Johannes FinkFind albums by this artist and Norwegian drummer Dag Magnus NarvesenFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, seven by Takase, two by Erdmann and one by Narvesen. The music is brilliant modern Jazz, floating constantly between melody based passages and free improvised vistas, all superbly performed by these exceptional musicians. Takase is a highly experienced bandleader and Japanic manages to create a complete ensemble sound on this album, perfectly combining the individual voices of its members into a coherent ensemble unity. The devilishly complex rhythmic patterns and asymmetric harmonies sound remarkably “easy on the ear” and the music is accessible to a wide range of Jazz listeners, despite the seemingly Avant-Gardist exterior. The album offers rich textures and innovative usage of electronics, which often, although fashionable, does not work well within the modern Jazz idiom, but this seems to be the exception of the rule. Takase’s piano playing is as brilliant as always and the years that pass seem to make her more exhilarating than ever, which makes me always extremely happy. Overall, this is a first class piece of music, from start to finish, which offers a roller coaster ride into the depth of creativity and musical imagination. It is wonderful to see Takase vibrant and original as always, hopefully for many years to come. Don’t you dare to miss this one!

Updated: 02/04/2022Posted: 02/04/2022

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