Needle Drops
A quartet channeling New Orleans' experimental spirit, German electronic artists carrying the kosmische torch, a formidable Brooklyn jazz ensemble, and meditative shakuhachi explorations lead this week's essential releases.
Readers in the upper hemisphere: are you already sick of the cold? I'm already sick of the cold. Let's gather around the glowing tubes of our vintage speakers (you have this, right?) and warm ourselves to new music sounds.
But first, here's a short list of what's catching our whimsy at The Tonearm headquarters. In this chilly first week of December, we're agreeing that it would be dorky to show off a laminated Best Buy card, diving into the sounds and history of Brazilian jazz, not having a whole lot of luck removing earworms, and wondering if we'll ever make it through The Quietus's 2024 Albums of the Year list. We're also pre-ordering Liz Pelly's new book (no doubt it's essential reading), jonesing to see the Tony Wilson archive someday, and anticipating the DEVO documentary—it's directed by the same guy who made American Movie!
As for the music, we've got four fantastic selections for you to discover. These include experimental renderings of New Orleans jazz, a collection of electronic artists proudly waving the kosmische flag, a furious Brooklyn jazz quartet, and the meditative energy of the processed shakuhachi. All of these releases are perfect for audibly thawing out a frozen weekend. And if you particularly like what you hear, remember that today is Bandcamp Friday. You know what to do.
Compersion Quartet - Compersion Quartet
Seattle saxophonist Skerik joins pianist Brian Haas, bassist James Singleton, and drummer Simon Lott for Compersion Quartet's self-titled debut on Royal Potato Family Records. The group formed at Saucefest, a multimedia event within New Orleans' Jazz Fest that Skerik created for unconventional musical partnerships.
The players met through New Orleans' experimental jazz circles—Skerik and Singleton worked together backing drummer Johnny Vidacovich, while Haas and Lott played in groups like Maelstrom Trio. The album's 11 tracks grew from studio improvisations, mixing loose structure with open exploration. "We share a related history," Skerik explains. "We're from the same mother of music." Their sound merges Skerik's experimental bent with New Orleans jazz roots in ways that dodge easy labels. Even the band name reflects this openness, though Skerik stays cryptic about their methods: "There's no point trying to describe the indescribable."
The record comes out in a way that appeals to me, and potentially you, kind reader: on green or black 180-gram vinyl and digital formats. Compersion Quartet has two upcoming New Orleans shows—December 6 at Cafe Istanbul and December 7 at The Maple Leaf. (LP)
Future Sounds Of Kraut Vol. 3
Future Sounds Of Kraut is Compost Records' undoubtedly tongue-in-cheek compilation series spearheaded and compiled by Rainer Buchmüller, aka Fred und Luna. The third installment, released today, is a melancholy affair as Buchmüller sadly passed away last January. Though the compilation does not lack his involvement—Buchmüller submitted the tracklisting a few days before his death. He also offered ideas for the planned fourth album in the series. (Side note: Fred und Luna's final album, Im Fünfminutentakt, is worth a listen. It's great.)
The compilation hews to the electronic, espousing camaraderie with the likes of Cluster, Kraftwerk (natch), Klaus Schulze, and the like, but assisted by beats of varying degrees of danceability. It's fitting that Fred und Luna open the compilation, but the track "Der Allgemeine Tenor" really is an apt tone-setter. The drum machine is tuned up high like a vintage rhythm box while Man Machine-ish melodies and synth pads float hazily over the Rhine. Other artists such as Harmonious Thelonious, Die Orangen, Von Spar, and Puma & The Dolphin—all names that could have been ripped from the catalog of Brain Records—expand on the gauntlet thrown down by Buchmüller, whether the tracks were specifically commissioned for Future Sound Of Kraut or not. Despite the Krauty constraints, there's a wide interpretation of the sound on display, and eclecticism is key. It's a reassuring reminder that the underground Germanic music of the 1970s, itself hard to pin down to a single genre, continues to mutate and evolve. (MD)
The Fury - Live in Brooklyn
The Fury's Live in Brooklyn unites four essential figures in modern jazz: Mark Turner on tenor saxophone, Lage Lund on guitar, Matt Brewer on bass, and Tyshawn Sorey on drums. Recorded at Brooklyn's Ornithology in August 2023, this Giant Step Arts release marks their first collaboration as a quartet.
Each musician has carved a distinct path: Sorey earned the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Music and a MacArthur Foundation grant; Turner shaped tenor saxophone playing for a generation; Lund broke ground as Juilliard's first jazz guitar student and won the Thelonious Monk competition; and Brewer, starting at age 10, grew into one of today's most compelling bassists. The group took its name from William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury, speaking to what Lund calls their music's raw energy and folk roots - qualities often overlooked in favor of intellectual analysis. The seven pieces include Turner's "Ender's Game" and "Sonnet for Stevie," Lund's "Couch," "Jimbo," and "Vignette," and Brewer's "Of Our Time." While these musicians have played together in various groups over the years, this marks their first time as a quartet. They've already scheduled another recording session for late 2024, suggesting this partnership might endure beyond its impressive debut. (LP)
Sanger and Sanger - Exotopia
If you're a fan of Bandcamp's flavor of experimental ambient music, then you probably know about Quiet Details. Founded by Alex Gold of Fields We Found, the imprint asks that its artists create albums as an interpretation (or a meditation) of the phrase "quiet details." The project has just yielded its 27th interpretation, the eerily evocative Exotopia from the brotherly duo of Sanger and Sanger. Luke Sanger is well known in electronic music circles, having released remarkable music for Balmat and Frequency Domain (as well as a previous Quiet Details installment). Exotopia reveals Luke's brother, Joseph Myoushin Sanger, who, armed with a shakuhachi, might be a bit of a secret weapon. Joseph is no dabbler—he's studied Japanese classical music under a grand master in Hiroshima for over twelve years. His contribution to this album is the key to its distinctiveness.
On Exotopia, Joseph, on standard and long shakuhachi, is joined by brother Luke, who commands a trinity of Ciat-Lonbarde instruments and assorted means of effects sorcery. Luke both accompanies the shakuhachi and processes it live, producing an improvisatory, magical, and deeply pensive sound mixture. Though separate in nature and by the silent space between, the nine tracks seem to flow together as a shimmering whole.
Exotopia might reference 'exotica' (which brings Quiet Details into sight of Quiet Village), but I find this music more human and of this world than exotic. An exotic utopia, then? How about a quiet synergy of the sort that bonds siblings together—but also one that brings us closer to the mystery of music's connection? If this sounds heady and strange, then let me assure you. Just clear your mind and listen. (MD)
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Lawrence Peryer
Lawrence Peryer
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