The Squid's Ear Magazine


Kurzmann, Christof / Mats Gustafsson: Falling And Five Other Failings [VINYL] (Trost Records)

Two versatile and innovative improvisers, Mats Gustafsson on saxophones and Christof Kurzmann on electronics and voice, extracted improvisations recorded in the studio to create the 7 parts of this rich, pulse-based and intensely understated work about Falling and Failing.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Christof Kurzmann-electronics, voice

Mats Gustafsson-tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, bass saxophone, piano mate


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UPC: 9120036682269

Label: Trost Records
Catalog ID: TROST 154LP
Squidco Product Code: 22701

Format: LP
Condition: New
Released: 2017
Country: Austria
Packaging: LP
Recorded at Garnison 7, in Vienna, Austria by Martin Siewer

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"On the surface, its fundamental components seem to come from the 20th century: the saxophone (invented in 1846, but not coming to the fore until jazz and Coleman Hawkins took a hold of it), the laptop computer (initially developed around 1980), and tape music (first started around 1950). But when examining the materials it becomes quickly apparent that, though the 'machines' may belong to the previous century, the methodologies applied to them do not.

The six pieces on this album began as open improvisations digitally recorded at Martin Siewert's studio in Vienna, Austria. A section of each improvisation that was considered most successful from a musical standpoint was 'spliced out' and kept as a composition - the studio was used as a means to produce a performance rather than to strictly document, not usually the case when recording improvised music.

Mats Gustafsson (who also plays keyboard here) has added to the range of extended techniques for saxophones instigated in the 1970s, by musicians like Anthony Braxton, Evan Parker, Roscoe Mitchell, Trevor Watts, Steve Lacy, and Peter Brötzmann. He's developed these through his unique approach to the instruments, which is often built upon phrasing power that can stand up to rhythmic frameworks and volume that frequently have little to do with the origins of improvised music. In many cases, the grooves explored on this collection of recordings are about pulse, but not the rhythmic feel of jazz, nor the timing of late 20th century free improvisation.

And as Christof Kurzmann (who also sings here) explained to me, the instrument he plays is not the laptop, but the software that he runs on it, called ppooll and refined by Klaus Filip and Arnold Habirl in [2015??]... ppooll gives Christof nearly infinite manufacturing possibilities for sound - from creating new material that's used later in performance, to processing sonic events in real time.

The elements of construction used to make this album and the resulting music all belong to this century, to this period."-Ken Vandermark, liner notes

Also available on CD.

Artist Biographies

"Christof Kurzmann (vocals, lloopp, clarinet, alto sax), is an Austrian musician, performer, composer currently living in Buenos Aires. Beginning in 1994 he started his work in the field of experimental electronic music. Since that time Christof has collaborated with some of the most significant artists working in contemporary music and improvisation- including Toto Alvarez, Martin Brandlmayr, John Butcher, Eden Carrasco, Sebi Ciurcina, Werner Dafeldecker, Kai Fagaschinski, Fernanda Farrah, Bernhard Fleischmann, Michaela Grill, Margareth Kammerer, Leonel Kaplan, Bernhard Lang, Andrea Neumann, Fernando Perales, Eva Reiter, Marina Rosenfeld, Ursula Rucked, Burkhard Stangl, Michael Thieke, and Clayton Thomas- in groups such as El Infierno Musical, The Magic I.D., and Schee. During the course of his career, Christof has performed throughout Europe, Japan, North and South Amercia. He has also been a music curator since the mid 1980's, and in 1999 founded the record label, Charhizma, which has released more than 30 cds."

-http://kenvandermark.com/2013/10/made-to-break-biography/ (Ken Vandermark Website)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
"Born 1964 in Umeå, Northern Sweden.Saxplayer, improviser and composer. Solo artist and international tours and projects with a.o. Sonic Youth, Merzbow, Jim O´Rourke, Barry Guy, Otomo Yoshihide, Yoshimi, Ken Vandermark and in working groups The Thing, FIRE!, Gush, Boots Brown, Swedish Azz and Fake (the facts). Large ensemble work with Barry Guy New Orchestra,FIRE! Orchestra and the NU - ensemble.over 1800 concerts and over 200 record productions in Europe, Australia, Africa, North & South America and Asia.Collaborations with contemporary dance, theater, art, poetry as well as projects with noise, electronica, contemporary rock and free jazz.Discaholic - running the discaholic corner website.Producer of international festivals and concert tours as well as work with own record labels Slottet, OlofBright Editions and Blue Tower Records."-Mats Gustafsson Website (http://matsgus.com/archives/category/bio)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



SIDE A



1. Failing I (7:34)

2. Falling (7:28)

3. Failing II (7:10)

SIDE B



1. Failing III (5:52)

2. Failing IV (9:48)

3. Failing V (6:37)

Related Categories of Interest:

May 2017
Vinyl Recordings
Improvised Music
Free Improvisation
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
Duo Recordings
Mats Gustafsson
Spoken Word
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Trost Records.


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