Of all the notable sessions New York multi-instrumentalist Daniel Carter has been involved with over a career of more than a half century, this may be one of the strangest. That's because Carter, known for his free jazz work with William Parker and others, has created this electronic and acoustic disc with Japanese tenor saxophonist/synthesizer player Ayumi Ishito, member of bands like The Jazz Thieves.
Note however that's electronic and acoustic, not and electro-acoustic CDs. That's because while timbres from Carter's saxophones, piano, flute and clarinet are overdubbed throughout, they're mated with the modules, loops, effects and programming from Ishito's synthesizer on the earliest tracks, the final two are almost acoustic.
That means that one like "Hatch da Sun" includes so many drum loops, conga-like thumps, continuous voltage oscillations and faux hand claps that it seems as if Carter's jagged reed vibrations, brass portamento and transverse flutters are coming out from a turn towards EDM more so than even electric jazz fusion. Although the same sort of field-recorded electric nodes resonate on "Teeyah" and "Night Mirrors", antiphonic horn melodies and measured piano tones are more prominent. The lengthy "Night Mirrors" is particularly striking since the breathy tenor sax flattement and mid-range alto sax tongue stops projected by both players coalesce into note-bending vamps while evolving on top of keyboard clips and wave-form smears.
Those tracks could induce long-time Carter followers to investigate music on other tracks; and those whose preference is for electronica may discover they appreciate Endless Season's semi-acoustic sounds as well.