Grosse Abfahrt

Erstes Luftschiffe Zu Kalifornien

Label: Creative Sources Country: Portugal

"Don't worry. Not being too well versed in German, I was a little leery of the translation of the group's name too. But it's simply "Large Departure", an octet comprised of Serge Baghdassarians (electronics), Boris Baltschun (electronics), Chris Brown (piano, electronics), Tom Djll (trumpet), Matt Ingalls (clarinet), Tim Perkis (electronics), Gino Robair (analog synthesizer) and John Shiurba (guitar). Those familiar with theses names might have a fair inkling of what to expect though, for myself, I found the group pushed things a bit further in the direction of non-hyperactive improvisation than I might have thought, a good thing for this listener.

This first airship to California alights in a gentle field of clicks and rustles, the acoustic instruments active in areas well away from what their designers intended, the electronics emitting soft counterpoint. As with most of the disc, to the extent the musicians resist idiomatic tropes, including those of free improvisation, the result is quite engaging. Though such gestures do seep in on occasion, by and large Grosse Abfahrt is successful in crafting a convincing, natural music, no mean feat for a mid-size ensemble. [...]"-Brian Olewnickn, Bagatellen

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