Harth, Alfred

Imperial Hoot

Label: Blue Noises Country: Germany

"Alfred 23 Harth became famous in avant-garde circles as avant rock band Cassiber's saxophonist in the 1980s. In late 2000 he introduced a new project, his band Imperial Hoot, with the release of Secrets of Development. This quartet includes Harth on saxophones, clarinets, trumpets and vocals, Christoph Korn on guitar and bass, Marcel Daemgen on electronics and samples, and Günter Bozem on drums. The music often feels like an instrumental 21st century version of his old band, with electronics and sampling techniques stirring Imperial Hoot's sound in directions only hinted at by Cassiber. Hypnotic grooves are established on longer tracks such as "Mystic" and "You Cannot Break Even," while shorter numbers tend to be freer in terms of structure, but whatever happens compositionally, improvisation waits just around the corner. Harth is still an exciting saxophonist, squeaking all over the place and churning angular melodies. His occasional trumpet doodlings are less convincing; "Royal Hache" feels like a pastiche of 1980s Miles Davis. "Washing-Ton Was-Nothing," the opening track, has strong echoes of early René Lussier thanks to its slightly detuned melody and speeding tempo. Although some tracks show uncertain direction, Secrets of Development contains enough powerful moments to convince anybody that Harth has found his best outfit since Cassiber."-François Couture, All Music Guide