The Squid's Ear Magazine


Foster, Michael: The Industrious Tongue (Relative Pitch)

It's not just the tongue that drives these compellingly irascible and unexpected sounds from the saxophone, augmented at times by samples and oscillators, as NY saxophonist Michael Foster applies technique beyond extended to a tenor and soprano saxophone, in two multi-part works of solo utterance: "Libidinal Fragments" in seven parts, and "Celluloid Nightmares" in two.
 

Price: $13.95



Quantity:

In Stock

Quantity in Basket: None

Log In to use our Wish List
Shipping Weight: 2.00 units

Sample The Album:





product information:

Personnel:



Michael Foster-tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, samples, oscillators


Click an artist name above to see in-stock items for that artist.




UPC: 5904224870829

Label: Relative Pitch
Catalog ID: RPRSS006
Squidco Product Code: 32256

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2022
Country: USA
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded at GSI studios, by Jason Rostkowski.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"The Industrious Tongue of Michael Foster is a 2-part work probing the most intimate and sensitive glands of the saxophone's internal architecture. This work is dedicated to several filmmakers whose work exploring the erotic extremities and complexities of contemporary intimacy has served as a focal point of inspiration for this album: Hisayasu Sato, Takashi Ishii, Naomi Tani and Jacques Rivette."-Relative Pitch



"The aptly named solo album by Michael Foster is a two-part release. Part 1 is called 'Libidinal Fragments' and consists of seven shorter pieces and thirthy minutes of free impro. Part II "Celluloid Nightmares" has two parts, a short one and a longer one (almost 14 minutes). Foster takes us inside the sax (tenor and soprano) and lets us hear what impossible sounds are possible with the saxophone. Heavy on extended techniques, his tongue is working overtime to make all the fluttering, stacattissimo or legato, or a lot of watery sounds. In just a few tracks, there are melodies to be heard. Mostly, it's about texture, be it combined with samples or oscillators or his voices pressed through the instrument. Especially the last track (the longer part of "Celluloid Nightmares") sounds like a harsh, noise-infused visceral nightmare with a lot of leaky fluids. Hisayasu Sato, Takashi Ishii, Naomi Tani and Jacques Rivette are the persons to which this release is dedicated. Takashi Ishii remade a Japanese pink film (a movie containing nudity: be it a drama, comedy or a yakuza movie) originally starring Naomi Tani, a well-known pink film actress in the fifties, sixties and seventies, with S&M as her subgenre. Anyway, I might be looking into all these dedicatees for research purposes. Michael Foster has made it his quest to get all sorts of unsexy sounds out of the soprano and tenor sax. And he succeeds splendidly on this release. Be warned: this is not for the faint of heart. For the rest of us: check this one out and his many collaborations with other like-minded musicians."-Vital Weekly



This album has been reviewed on our magazine:

The Squid
The Squid's Ear!

Get additional information at Vital Weekly

Artist Biographies

"Michael Foster is a saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist working in the fields of free improvisation, noise, free jazz, graphic & video notation, performance art, and other forms of weird music.

Foster utilizes extensive preparations of his saxophone, augmenting it with amplification, objects, balloons, drum heads, vibrators, tapes, and samples as a method of subverting and queering the instrumentÕs history and traditional roles.

His current ensembles include duos with cellist Leila Bordreuil, percussionist Ben Bennett, poet/vocalist Lydia Lunch, vocalist Anais Maviel, Richard Kamerman, The Ghost (with Henry Fraser & Connor Baker), Barker Trio (with Tim Dahl, James Ilgenfritz, & Andrew Barker), While We Still Have Bodies (with Sean Ali, Ben Gerstein, & Flin van Hemmen), Weasel Walter Large Ensemble, and BDM (with Ben Bennett and David Grollman).

Selected notable venues he's performed at include Bowling Green State University (Ohio), The Stone (NYC), BimHuis (NL), Jazzfestival Groningen (NL), Fabrica Bra¨o de Prata (PT), Death By Audio (NYC), Studio Loos (NL), Betalevel (Los Angeles), Webster Hall (NYC), XI20 (LT), Jazzclub Erfurt (DE), and many more."

-Michael Foster Website (http://michaelfostermusic.com/)
3/27/2024

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


Track Listing:



1. For Naomi Tani 1:48

2. Skins Of Satin 3:49

3. Function Smothered In Surmise 5:42

4. Spirit As Organ 3:45

5. Following The Brush 5:28

6. The Invisible Prick 4:46

7. Hana To Hebi 3:27

8. Vibrator Torture 2:42

9. The 3 Positions (For Jacques Rivette) 13:34

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Free Improvisation
Recordings by or featuring Reed & Wind Players
Electro-Acoustic
Solo Artist Recordings
NY Downtown & Metropolitan Jazz/Improv
New in Improvised Music
New in Experimental & Electronic Music
Recent Releases and Best Sellers

Search for other titles on the label:
Relative Pitch.


Recommended & Related Releases:
Other Recommended Releases:
Wright, Jack
What Is What
(Relative Pitch)
Improviser, influencer and world traveler performing with exceptional players in interesting situations, saxophonist Jack Wright is heard in four solo improvisations that support the description of his wide vocabulary on the horn: "leaping pitches, punchy, precise timing, sharp and intrusive multiphonics, surprising gaps of silence, and obscene animalistic sounds".
Valencia, Maria
Compendio de Alofonias Abisales
(Relative Pitch)
Part of Relative Pitch's extraordinary solo series, fascinatingly creative improviser from Bogota, Colombia, multi-reedist Maria Valencia, was inspired by old naturalist manuals, imagining these 16 succinct improvisations where each piece reveals moments of nature in locations between the town of Sutatausa (Colombia) and the mountains of Banff (Canada).
Greenstone, Madison
Resonance Studies in Ecstatic Consciousness
(Relative Pitch)
Exploring the resonant properties inside a Bb clarinet caused by overtones, overblowing and other unusual reed techniques, Switch~ Ensemble clarinetist Madison Greenstone generates ten studies of extreme yet tremendously controlled anomalies on the single reed, each piece a masterwork of control in the extremities of unexpected sonic expression.
Nebbia, Camila
Una Ofrenda A La Ausencia
(Relative Pitch)
Working in her native Buenos Aires, Argentina and in Berlin, tenor saxophonist Camila Nebbia (Habitable Records) presents sixteen succint, diverse and authoritative solo recordings captured in the studio in Bueno Aires, a mix of assertive harmonic statements and lyrical, often introspective works, at times narrating over her playing or adding effects.
Vergara, Benjamin
The Impossibility Of A Single Sound
(Relative Pitch)
A "subterranean homage to trumpet players of the caliber of Don Cherry, Bill Dixon, Miles Davis, Lester Bowie, Tomasz Stanko, Wadada Leo Smith, Jaimie Branch and Chet Baker", in six improvisations of unusual technique and creative concept from Chilean trumpeter Benjamin Vergarda, known for his work with Fred Frith, Keefe Jackson, &c, and director of the Festival of Experimental Music Relincha.
Jessen, Kyle
Primitive
(Relative Pitch)
An album of cathartic release in five solo saxophone improvisations from Omaha, Nebraska reedist Kyle Jessen, aggressive and angst-filled expositions that reflect anger and isolation, but also powerful statements of technical skill and personal expression, from the brutal "Death Trap" to the more introspective explorations of "Poltergeist"; exactingly purgative.
Ghost, The Michael Foster's (Foster / Radichel / Sullivan)
Vanished Pleasures
(Relative Pitch)
Following NY saxophonist Michael Foster's interest in free jazz, noise and the pre-AIDS era of sexual freedom in the gay community, expressed in a sax-bass-drums trio with Philadelphia double bassist Jared Radichel and drummer Joey Sullivan, drawing on pre-composed structures, melodies, samples, and improvisation to reflect both the joy and anxiety of the queer experience.
Beeferman / Evans / Foster / Hirsch
GLOW
(Tripticks Tapes)
In the midst of pandemic, NY pianist & keyboardist Gordon Beeferman jumped on an opportunity to record in the studio, assembling saxophonist Michael Foster and drummer/percussionist Michael Evans to record with free improvising vocalist and story-teller Shelley Hirsch, whose nimble narratives guide these eleven interesting vignettes of far-ranging musical and sonic sources.
Malfon, Don
Mutable
(Relative Pitch)
Using multiphonics, extended techniques and an intuitive sense of drama and narrative, Barcelona alto and baritone saxophonist Don Malfon takes his listeners on an 8-part journey of "Mutable" solo performances, using every inch of his horn (including inserting resonant objects), his body, tongue and breath to investigate the outer limits of his instruments.
Abdou, Sakina
Goodbye Ground
(Relative Pitch)
An incredibly well-rounded musician on sax and flute, performing in both improvised and contemporary settings including Dedalus Ensemble and work with Etron Foun drummer Guigou Chenevier, here Sakina Abdou presents a series of solo saxophone improvisations recorded at her home in Lille, France, drawing on all of her influences in eight informed performances.
Shiraishi, Tamio
Moon
(Relative Pitch)
Known for his resonant solo alto saxophone work, often recording with the New York City subways, this album presents ten unusual duos between Tamio Shiraishi and improvisers on piano, voice, cello, electronics, bass, guitar and sax, with Tim Dahl, Steve Baczkowski, Mico, Mike Sidnam, Austin Sley Julian, Nina Dante, Tara Fenamore, Leila Bordreuil, Chris Libutti, and Ami Yamasaki.
Lipscomb, Jon
Conscious Without Function
(Relative Pitch)
Swedish guitar improviser Jon Lipscomb (LOPLOP, Swedish Fix) takes his listeners on a rugged trip across the strings, using distortion, tremolo and rapid-fire technique as he mines territories between free improv, noise and rock, his nimble mind stopping to explore areas of interest then cascading into new, turbulent environments; frightfully powerful.
Magill, Rob
Blues Etudes
(Kettle Hole Records)
A series of reed and wind improvisations, including two pieces with electronics, from Southern California composer and improviser Rob Magill, each of the 9 tracks on this album focusing on a different instrument: alto saxophone, soprano saxpohone, clarinet, flute, bass clarinet, bass recorder, sheng and tenor saxophone, plus a multi-instrumental "misc".
Clotet, Amidea
Trasluz
(Relative Pitch)
Sorollets i catxarros—noises and rattles—from Barcelona electric guitarist and free improviser Amidea Clotet, who explores unusual possibilites from the instrument through textural approaches and amplification, evoking unusual soundscapes of inexplicable sound from the body, hardware and strings of the guitar, in seven unusual and fascinating expositions.
Grimal, Alexandra
Refuge
(Relative Pitch)
Recorded using the natural resonance from the base of a stone double spiral staircase in the Castle of Chambord, France, improvising soprano saxophonist Alexandra Grimal explores her own personal language and the affect the ambience brings to her adept playing, through beautifully melodic lines, long arpeggiations, or short bursts of penetrating utterance.
Ali / Foster / Lopez / Wallace
The Inflatable Leviathan [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD]
(Tripticks Tapes)
The first studio recording for the performing quartet of New York improvisers, Cecilia Lopez (synthesizer), Michael Foster (tenor & soprano saxophones), Sean Ali (double bass) and Eli Wallace (upright piano), taking listeners on an inflating journey from "Stratosphere" to "Exosphere" through unorthodox approaches, from sparse intensity to dense textural interaction.
Koketsu, Masayo
Fukiya
(Relative Pitch)
An extended monologue on the alto saxophone from Tokyo-based Masayo Koketsu (Carrier/Koketsu/Fuwa/Itani), driven by an innate sense of timing to introduce assertive utterances, growls, throttling and intense interaction offset with long pauses, digressive asides and reflective moments, a remarkable album of modern free jazz in the Japanese tradition.
Burnett, Aaron
Correspondence
(Relative Pitch)
Known for his ensemble The Big Machine with Peter Evans, Carlos Homs, &c., NYC saxophonist Aaron Burnett steps out for a solo album of intense improvisatory exploration, demonstrating his background in classical saxophone studies that fuels an ardent intensity in personal expression, a tremendous balance between technique and passion.
Lee, Robbie
Prismatist
(Relative Pitch)
With a history of both improvisation and rock, NY saxophonist and sound artist (Creature Automatic, Love As Laughter) concentrates on the sopranino saxophone in this solo album, performing acoustic feats of impressive technical skill, and on many tracks performing with tuning forks and live electronics, sequenced in a compelling journey of contrasts and wonder.
Emmeluth, Signe
Hi Hello I'm Signe
(Relative Pitch)
A single piece recorded live for Ingebrit Haker Flaten's 2020 Sonic Transmissions Festival finds the Danish saxophonist in an extended improvisation of varying moods, applying a diverse set of methods and technical approaches to the horn, from quiet meditate work to full-throated exuberance, in a remarkably personal journey of confident exposition.
Pitsiokos, Chris
Speak In Tongues And Hope For The Gift Of Interpretation
(Relative Pitch)
Dedicating his pieces to Charlie Parker, Anthony Braxton, Roscoe Mitchell, Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, and John Zorn, NY alto saxophonist Chris Pitsiokos is heard live at this solo concert in New Haven, CT in 2019, reflecting on the history of jazz through his intense playing style that deploys incredible technique balanced with abstraction and rapid lyricism.
Foster, Michael / Michael Zerang / Katherine Young
Bind the Hand(s) That Feed
(Relative Pitch)
Captured at Elastic in Chicago, the free improvising trio of Katherine Young on bassoon & electronics, Michael Zerang on percussion, and Michael Foster on soprano & tenor saxophones, use contrasting timbres and techniques throug wind instruments, percussion and electronics to create unusual and captivating dialog, evolving with great composure, a sense of wonder, and mastery.
Hocevar, Dre
Surface Of Inscription
(Clean Feed)
Composer and drummer Dre Hocevar brings an unusual sense of unity, logic and purpose to his improvised work resulting from a number of distinct compositional procedures, performed by vocalist Charmaine Lee, pianist Elias Stemeseder, brass player Weston Olencki reedist Michael Foster, and electronics artist Bernardo Barros, a unique and rewarding album.
Bourdreuil, Leila / Michael Foster
The Caustic Ballads
(Relative Pitch)
Two bright stars of DIY Brooklyn improvisers with unusual approaches to their instruments through extended techniques, processing and odd acoustic effects from saxophonist Michael Foster and cellist Leila Bourdreuil, together since 2009 creating racous & beautiful sound.
Roberts, Matana
Always
(Relative Pitch)
Two passionate studio improvisations from saxophonist Matana Roberts, who lovingly dedicates the album to "those bard(s) of summer...the ideas herein of which I gleaned/interrogated/investigated/celebrated with you..."; subtle, rich, and inspiring.
Doneda, Michel
Everybody Digs Michel Doneda
(Relative Pitch)
A collection of solo pieces from forward-thinking French soprano saxophonist Michel Doneda, using extended techniques and utilizing every inch of the horn, creating unconventional and captivating sonic expressions from the instrument.



The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

© 2002-, Squidco LLC