The Squid's Ear
Writing about improvised, contemporary, experimental and unusual music,
following the activities of Squidco...
  •  •  •     Join Our Mailing List!



The Squid's Ear




Heard In

Reviews of artist releases:
cd's, books, magazines, &c.


  Sage J Harlow 
  Variations Without A Theme (Drones Ongs)
  (Edition Wandelweiser) 


  
   review by Brian Olewnick
  2023-01-25
Sage J Harlow: Variations Without A Theme (Drones Ongs) (Edition Wandelweiser)

Sage J Harlow is an Australian musician who often performs under the name, Sage Pbbbt. This is a set of four pieces between 18 and 20 minutes long, performed by a septet of Jameson Feakes (guitar), Dan O'Connor (trumpet), Oz Kesik (synthesizer), Djuna Lee (double bass), Josten Myburgh (alto saxophone), Pbbbt (voices) and Saskia Willinge (flute). An inscription on the sleeve reads, "this album was created on the unceeded [sic] lands of the whadjuk people of the noongar nation. the artists pay their respects to the whadjuk people and their elders".

Even without the note, it wouldn't have been difficult for the listener to conjure up visions of the Outback during the opening track, 'one; two'. Softly percolating wind and percussion sounds exist in a steady but active state, the saxophone or low flute perhaps evoking the classic didjeridoo breathiness while the rest elicit (without being at all imitative) various noises one can easily imagine hearing during a desert night. 'morphing' concentrates on flutes, low vocals and sandy textures, again in a kind of drone atmosphere, but varying in density and graininess. Here as elsewhere, the ensemble sometimes skirts the line between a nice sense of suspension and a bit too much inaction; it's a tough balance. Similarly with 'distance' � different textures, but the same general approach and the closing work, 'inverse', treads the same ground. This may well be in keeping with the aural traditions of the Whadjuk people and evoke a feeling of commiseration with their persecution and colonization (which have been terrible) and the listener may feel this is enough. To these ears, however, as ingratiating as a given segment of the music may be, I wanted to hear either more engagement with the culture and/or land or a more complete abandonment to it.







Comments and Feedback:



More Recent Reviews, Articles, and Interviews @ The Squid's Ear...


The Squid's Ear presents
reviews about releases
sold at Squidco.com
written by
independent writers.

Squidco

Recent Selections @ Squidco:


Samuel Blaser Quartet:
Rosina
(Blaser Music)



Samuel Blaser Quartet:
Rosina
[CASSETTE]
(Blaser Music)



TRAC (
Teddy Ryles/
Alexander Cooper):
Heavy Nano Ream Aria
[2 CDs]
(Bu Lang Tribute Cake)



Tyshawn Sorey (
w/
O'Farrill/
Shim/
Korten/
Allen II/
Victor):
Members... Don't!
[2 CDs]
(Pi Recordings)



Josh Berman Trio:
Everybody Else's Life,
Too
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)



Charles Downs Quartet (
w/
Paz/
Saft/
Morris):
Inner
(ESP Disk)



Satoko Fujii:
Bunker Ulmenwall Orchestra
[2 CDs]
(Libra)



Henry Kaiser:
Gateway To Strangeness (
solo guitar)
(Metalanguage)



Michael Marcus Quartet (
Marcus/
Williams/
Rodriguez/
Mednard):
Next Stop Down
(ESP Disk)



Le GGRIL + DDK:
Diffraction
(Tour de Bras/
Circum-Disc)



Jason Kahn/
Phil Durrant/
Mark Wastell/
Caius Williams:
Where The Stars
(Editions)



The Tony Williams
Emergency w/ John McLaughlin/
Larry Young:
Emergency!
(ALAY)



Vienna FLAMMeS (
Koglmann/
Schiske/
Donhauser/
Buhlmann/
Mautner/
Rohrer):
He Said Boler o'
(ALAY)



Ballister
+
Luke Stewart:
Clocking the Wheel
(Aerophonic)



Duke Ellington Orchestra:
From Fargo Live 1940
(ALAY)



Camila Nebbia/
Chris Corsano:
Six or Seven Ways
Towards Becoming Undone
(Relative Pitch)



Hilary Jeffery (
w/ Delius/
Dunmall/
Jeffery/
Poulou):
Green Prism:
Music by
Keith Tippett
(Discus)



Paul Dunmall:
Afraid To Speak
(Discus)



Gerry Hemingway/
Izumi Kimura/
Frank Gratkowski/
Christian Weber:
Live At Bau 4
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



Albert Ayler:
Reference: Albert Ayler, Spirits & Spirits Rejoice
[CD + POSTCARD]
(ALAY)







Squidco
Click here to
advertise with
The Squid's Ear






The Squid's Ear pays its writers.
Interested in becoming a reviewer?




The Squid's Ear is the companion magazine to the online music shop Squidco !


  Copyright © Squidco. All rights reserved. Trademarks. (34570)