Jun 19 2019
Album of the Day: Romain Collin – “Tiny Lights”
Artist: Romain Collin
Album: Tiny Lights
Label: XM Records
Style: Electro-acoustic
Favorite Track: “Overflow”
Music from: New York City
What I like about it: This is something completely new from Romain Collin, but the change is not terribly shocking. The pianist has previously displayed a proclivity for diving deep into a melody, and focusing not just on the depth of its waters, but also the way flickers of sunlight were captured on its rippled surface. I like how Tiny Lights simply sees that approach to its logical conclusion, and how the dramatic surges of melodic intent are less about an evolving sound and more about Collin wanting to reflect changes through the shapes of the initial splash upon contact. I like how the pianist amps up the use of electronic effects on some pieces, where before he might have gone more with restraint. I also like the addition of strings and electric guitar and the huge waves they elicit, but I also like the small touches, like the gentle, tuneful whistle on tracks “Los Angeles” and “Reprise.” Perhaps most of all, I love the experience of being there as a musician explores new and existing paths over the course of their life, and how those manifest in the thrilling landmarks of new recordings.
Your album personnel: Romain Collin (piano, moog Taurus, vocal effects), Matthew Stevens (electric guitar), Obed Calvaire (acoustic and electronic drums, kazuma jinnouchi string arrangements) and guests: City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
Available at: Amazon
Be sure to check out the artist’s site.
There is a methodical procession of strange and beautiful sounds on the debut from Jo David Meyer Lysne. Individually, they are pretty damn compelling. But it’s over the course of time, as their lingering sonic effect accumulates in both the space of the room and the embrace of the listener’s memory, that they take on a panoramic quality that gives them more depth and expanse than originally unveiled. It’s the mirror effect of 
This is the kind of soundscaping that will erase all of the existing stress from your life, but substitute a little nervous tension of its own just as a reminder of how impermanent and precious the eye of the storm truly is. The trumpet of Hilde Marie Holsen soars and dips and blasts off with a fluidity that eclipses its suddenness, while the electronic backdrop keeps inching its way forward, as if subsuming everything in sight is the inescapable outcome. There are moments so delicate, a melodic inspiration threatens to dissipate into a haze, and there are moments on this recording of a striking imagery that never come close to fading away. Music from Oslo, Norway.
Skadedyr is an orchestral performance given while running through a carnival funhouse. The distortions and collisions of sound are thrilling to no end, and the unexpected moments of sublime beauty and dreamlike imagery bring an immense wonderment to all of the excitement. The music possesses an abiding sense of humor, but this is no joke… this ensemble takes their experimentation seriously, and it’s why the onslaught of transitions and turmoil remain gripping throughout, radiating a charisma that elicits admiration as effortlessly as it does a smile. Their previous release, Culturen,
Jun 20 2019
Album of the Day: Alister Spence and Satoko Fujii Orchestra Kobe – “Imagine Meeting You Here”
Album: Imagine Meeting You Here
Label: Self-Produced
Style: Avant-garde big band
Favorite track: “Imagine Meeting You Here 3 (You)”
Music from: Newtown, Australia & Kobe, Japan
What I like about it: I like how this album radiates the energy of an exploding sun and how that display of power still provides the environment for a simple melodic thread to thrive. I like the modulations in the rise and fall of intensity, and that even during those transitions that are almost jarring, there’s a fluidity to them not unlike slipping into a pool of water and slowly floating away. I like how this album’s 50 minutes of playing time easily flies on by, a quality that seems counterintuitive to the music’s immense presence… a quality that, under certain conditions, has the potential to be emotionally draining. There’s an extended bass solo dead center of this recording, and I swear even with all of the craziness on this performance, it snaps right into place… a fascinating moment, but also representative of how the flowing undercurrent of the music is as much a guiding hand as its more volatile characteristics.
Your album personnel: Alister Spence (conductor), Satoko Fujii (piano), Ko Iwata, Yasuhisa Mizutani (alto saxophones), Eiichiro Arasaki (tenor sax, shakuhachi), Tsutomu Takei (tenor sax), Keizo Nobori (baritone sax), James Barrett, Shojiro Yokoo, Natsuki Tamura, Rabito Arimoto (trumpets), Yusuko Kaneko, Yusuke Imanishi (trombones), Takumi Seino (guitar), Hiroshi Funato (bass) and Yoshikazu Isaki (drums).
Available at: Amazon
Be sure to check out the artist’s site.
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By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2019 • 0 • Tags: Alister Spence, Kobe (Japan), Newtown (Australia), Satoko Fujii, Self-Produced