Bauer / Rose / Lehn

Futch

Label: Jazzwerkstatt Country: Germany

"Having been around for only the last few years, trombonist Johannes Bauer, synth player Thomas Lehn and violinist Jon Rose have finally seen it fit to release their debut release. On his web-site, Jon Rose ponders the importance of "Futch". He rambles on about "Futch" and its variations as well as its importance in today's society:

"When FUTCH arrived, there were people who said 'Oh there is FUTCH' as if it had always existed - that there had always been FUTCH.

You mean there was a time that could be considered pre-FUTCH?

Is it of use to anybody? Can you sell it?

Can you catch the FUTCH? These days you can never be too careful who you shake hands with. I didn't realise it was so intense - dangerous.

Wrong again. FUTCH is behavioural and not yet a medical condition. Whole populations could be infected by chronic FUTCH but it is too soon to say. As a virus, it could take over the leadership of the free world and cause a breakdown of the social will. We might forget who we are and where we are going. It could result in a breakdown in the transmission of language."

None the wiser in Rose's explanation of the Futch phenomenon, all I know is these recordings from June of last year are a worthwhile investment of the listener's time. Deriving from the German slang, "futsch" denotes someone who is gone, spoiled or simply fucked up. On first inspection, we grapple with the trombone-violin duo shifts presented by Bauer and Rose. As the shifts between the hearty trombone and the pinnacle and pointillistic violin squeaks escalate, the two are joined by the glitchy analogue synth played by Thomas Lehn. As the track moves on, the violin soundscapes are replaced by even more hearty trombone mutations that are played in tandem with synth babblings. Near the end of the first 25 minute track, Rose is found plucking the strings lightly, while Lehn's synth work is slowed down, which is when Rose enters the picture with electronics scrapes. Lehn seems to act like a glue between the polar opposites of the trombone and the violin worlds. There's much common-ground evident in all three player's work. Their interaction is flawlessly realized and immensely well played. I find this surprising considering this is a relatively young ensemble. As the disc comes to an end, I'm already a convert. Jazz, improvised music or simply new music - "Futch" rules.

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