Record Reviews

REUTER / MOTZER / GROHOWSKI ~ SHAPESHIFTERS MOONJUNE 103 (Barcode: 692287910327) ~ GERMANY ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is an album by a trio comprising of German touch guitarist Markus ReuterFind albums by this artist and American guitarist Tim MotzerFind albums by this artist and drummer Kenny GrohowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents four "instant compositions" recorded live and credited to all three members of the trio. The music is exactly what one might expect from three free spirited musicians, who engage into a conversation, which has no pre-conceived subject matter, other than the collected musical experience each of these musicians brings with him into the melting pot. The four instantly created pieces of music are a snapshot of the event, which enable the listener to probe the musical universe created at the spur of the moment and make from it whatever his mind is capable to encompass. Considering the fact that these musicians have a "past" connected to what for lack of a better definition can be labeled as Rock, the resulting music is a form of Free Rock, quite similar in concept to the modus operandi of Free Jazz, at the time it was first encountered in the 1960s. The existence of contemporary technology, electronics and the entire paraphernalia at hand expands of course the possibilities that were available to John ColtraneFind albums by this artist while playing his saxophone, or Jimi HendrixFind albums by this artist playing his guitar for that matter, but the process of "letting go" of the methodical "playing" and shifting the process of creating sound into the spiritual / metaphysical plane is in fact similar. This music is first and foremost associative, or more exactly extrovertly associative, since all brain activity is a priori associative, and so is the process of listening to this music. Nobody can be teleported back within the space-time continuum back into the venue where this music was recorded in order to experience the music at first hand, so the only option left is let one´s brain to react to whatever enters via the ears and create one´s own "music", which is what happens anyway while listening to music, but this time without the availability of familiar patterns we already associated with music earlier on. This music is obviously not for a wide audience. Playing and recording this kind of sonic creations has serious intrinsic limitations as far as communication with audiences is concerned. Sometimes this kind of music can work live but only very rarely it is able to be "frozen" in recorded form and preserve its ability to communicate while reproduced at the listener´s home. There is no way to measure the rate of success of such endeavors, but it certainly is limited. Therefore I can only state that this particular shapeshifting attempt works splendidly in my case, but how other will react I have no clue. Kudos to the shapeshifters for the courage and open-mindedness!

Updated: 28/09/2020Posted: 28/09/2020

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MARKUS REUTER / OCULUS ~ NOTHING IS SACRED MOONJUNE 105 (Barcode: 692287910525) ~ GERMANY ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is an album by German touch guitarist / composer Markus ReuterFind albums by this artist, recorded with a group of musicians associated with the MoonJuneFind albums on this label label and the producer Leonardo PavkovicFind albums by this artist as well as his cohorts from other projects like Stick MenFind albums by this artist: Israeli drummer Asaf SirkisFind albums by this artist, Italian bassist Fabio TrentiniFind albums by this artist, British violinist David CrossFind albums by this artist and guitarist Mark WingfieldFind albums by this artist and American Ambient composer / keyboardist Robert RichFind albums by this artist, collectively known as OculusFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded at the usual "crime location", i.e. Spanish studio La Casa Murada, by Reuter, Sirkis, Trentini and Cross and later overdubbed by Wingfield and Rich. The album presents five extended pieces, all more than ten minutes in duration, which are not credited and assumed to be co-credited to the participating musicians. The music, although mostly improvised, is based on strictly pre-designed structures created by Reuter, which the musicians had to follow in order to create a coherent development of the music. However, for the listener the music offers a flux, which can be individually interpreted, and the listener´s perception is in fact a crucial ingredient in the music itself. Ambient vistas, supported by leading bass lines and rhythmic structures created by the drums take the listener on a journey, which can only be enjoyed under a total submission to the music, without involving intellectual analytic processes. The music manages successfully to avoid genre limitations and attempts to be categorized. Each listener can find whatever he sees fit in this music, from Avant-Garde electronic music, via Improvised Jazz and Rock Music or Fusion and Progressive Rock. It is an excellent example of contemporary music, which basically ridicules genre classification, which music criticism suffers from constantly, and proposes an opportunity to accept it for what it is: simply music. Of course there are plenty of superb individual statements by all the participants, and again each listener will probably enjoy certain aspects of the music that others might overlook, but this is exactly the point. Like all great Art, music is completely individual (not subjective, as is often wrongly stated). The beauty of Humanity is all in our individualism, which makes us what we really are, of which the perception of music is just one facet. This music, as I have repeatedly stated, comes with a price tag ;) It is not for a casual listener nor can it be enjoyed without a considerable emotional effort, which if often way too much to ask from people these days. Oh well, c´est la vie!

Updated: 24/09/2020Posted: 24/09/2020

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STICK MEN / DAVID CROSS ~ PANAMERICA – LIVE IN LATIN AMERICA STICK MAN 1911 (Barcode: 4260139121502) ~ USA ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This monumental Box Set presents recordings by the "Progressive Rock" trio Stick MenFind albums by this artist (American Chapman Stick player Tony LevinFind albums by this artist and drummer Pat MastelottoFind albums by this artist and German touch guitarist Markus ReuterFind albums by this artist), expanded for the occasion to a quartet with the addition of the British violinist David CrossFind albums by this artist (all four associated to some extent with the legendary King CrimsonFind albums by this artist of course), captured during the quartet´s Latin America tour in 2018 (sixteen concerts in ten countries). The Box Set consists of no less than five CDs, three of which present selections illustrating different aspects of the music created by the quartet, appropriately sub-titled "Improvs", "Suites" and "Soundscapes", and the remaining two present one of the concerts in its entirety. Although usually classified as Progressive Rock, the music of Stick Men and Cross has very little to do with what can be considered as classic Prog defined in the late 1960s / early 1970s. Over time is has become much closer affiliated with Avant-Garde Rock, Jazz, Ambient, Electronic and even contemporary Classical Music than Prog, so anybody expecting to hear something like the classic Prog stuff will be completely disenchanted. These musicians refused to stand still and perpetuate stale formulas (as most so called contemporary Prog bands do), moving ahead and embracing the possibilities opened up by new instruments, sound technology and the expansion of musical horizons and creating a completely new and original universe of musical expression. Rather than based on the conventional musical approach of melody, harmony and rhythm, this music is all about atmosphere, soundscapes, flux and associations, which are invoked in the listener´s brain while listening to this music. There are no rules and no limitations, other than the possibilities embedded in the instruments played. The music is mostly spontaneously improvised, like in the Jazz Improvised Music idiom, but distinctly different as a result of the Rock roots obviously present herein. However, this music comes with a price tag ;) It is definitely no for the weak hearted or for the superficial listeners. The two minutes long average attention span of today´s listeners won´t cut it in this case. This music develops slowly, sometimes painfully so, building up complex structures and convoluted relations, demanding unscrupulous concentration. Don’t try to play this music while driving! Overall this Box Set is a marvelous document not only of the actual tour and the music played while it lasted, but more importantly a document capturing the development of the Stick Men phenomenon and the process of the development of contemporary music in general. Beautifully conceived, performed, recorded, edited, packaged, photographed and finally released, this is a true gem and a must to all searching music lovers! Thanks to my buddy Leonardo PavkovicFind albums by this artist, the head of MoonJuneFind albums on this label Records, the person behind much of the ambitious music still created made these days, against all odds, for sending me this musical treat. I am much obliged Sir!

Updated: 24/09/2020Posted: 19/09/2020

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WINGFIELD / REUTER / STAVI / SIRKIS ~ THE STONE HOUSE MOONJUNE 083 (Barcode: 692287908324) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by a Fusion / Ambient quartet comprising of British guitarist Mark WingfieldFind albums by this artist, German guitarist Markus ReuterFind albums by this artist and Israeli (resident in UK) rhythm section: bassist Yaron StaviFind albums by this artist and drummer Asaf SirkisFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, all co-credited to the four members of the quartet. The music is a highly developed and completely improvised Fusion effort, which allows the quartet members to freely express their individual statements during the extended musical journeys taken within each of the lengthy tracks. The music wanders on several parallel planes, created by the double guitar lead and supported amicably by the rhythm section. Long ambient passages incorporate World Music elements, which can not be exactly pinpointed, but definitely have an Eastern feel about them. Considering the fact that all the music was composed spontaneously during the recording process, the communication between the musicians is truly telepathic. The individual performances by all quartet members are, as expected, quite amazing, both on the individual level and especially so on the ensemble level. Combining two expressive guitar players, like those present here, could have easily ended up in a chaotic race, but thankfully is skillfully avoided. The rhythm section proves to be able to carry this heavy weight front line intensity without a hitch, with a steady pulsation this particular duo is known for since years. Overall this is a splendid effort which should make all guitar fans extremely happy, especially since many of the things heard on this album are quite unique and certainly innovative. Fusion and Prog fans might also find this music to be exactly their cup of tea, and last but not least the many Wingfield´s followers will discover both a continuation of his previous work and ventures into new territory. Well done Gentlemen!

Updated: 23/02/2017Posted: 23/02/2017

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