The Squid's Ear
Writing about improvised, contemporary, experimental and unusual music,
following the activities of Squidco...
  •  •  •     Join Our Mailing List!



The Squid's Ear




Heard In

Reviews of artist releases:
cd's, books, magazines, &c.


  Frank Paul Schubert / Matthias Muller 
  Foils
  (FMR) 


  
   review by Massimo Ricci
  2012-01-14
Frank Paul Schubert / Matthias Muller: Foils (FMR)

This duo, embodied by relatively young improvisers �Schubert on soprano sax, M�ller on trombone � belongs to a sphere of impromptu performers of unsullied virtuosity, also sensible to the subtle hues that differentiate raucous dilettantism from accomplished researching. Foils � recorded in Berlin, February 2011 � does not offer excessive target for the arrows of unforgiving criticism; all over its nine tracks � even the calmer ones � heartfelt passion fuels the musicians' intention of avoiding the "let's-contemplate-what-we-did" attitude that drags a fair amount of recordings down the waters of tedium.

Each piece might be taken as an example of exuberant technical maturity, some of them outstanding in terms of sharp legerdemain and sheer involvement. "The Epiphany Diagram" sees the couple running fast across articulate counterpoint-cum-screaming outbreaks, still leaving space for the mind to understand the majority of the occurring events. Then we're suddenly pushed into the pop-fizz-and-hiss area, but with musicality and sense of spacing virtually unknown to the novices who pretend to be experts in the disproportionate egalitarianism of today's art.

What's instantly noticeable is the absence of any trace of plagiarism. Every pitch, or mere emission, sounds connected to a primary instinct, halfway through surviving in a dangerous place and the necessity of telling uneasy truths in their entirety before someone comes and shuts the dissenter's mouth. "Written On Rubber" compares two kinds of similar needs, both players apparently driven by the burning desire of arriving � quickly � to a thorough assessment of who they are. To this aim, no password or trick is requested; just the internal combustion that should propel an honest improviser. Believe it or not, the number of those who belong to the category is not that high.







Comments and Feedback:



More Recent Reviews, Articles, and Interviews @ The Squid's Ear...


The Squid's Ear presents
reviews about releases
sold at Squidco.com
written by
independent writers.

Squidco

Recent Selections @ Squidco:


Evan Parker/
John Zorn:
Those Landings
(Tzadik)



Tres Hongos (
Wick/
Riordan/
Rosaly):
More Chips
(Relative Pitch)



Gebhard Ullmann/
Uwe Oberg/
Joe Fonda/
Dieter Ulrich:
New Conference Call
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



James Lewis Brandon Quartet (
Lewis/
Ortiz/
Jones/
Taylor):
Omni
(Intakt)



OM (
Leimgruber/
Doran/
Burri/
Hemingway/
Buck):
Sudpol
(Intakt)



Sergio Armaroli Quintet (
w/ Sharp/
Piccolo/
Edwards/
Sanders):
Follow A Very Heavy Person,
First Visit
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



Quatuor Bozzini:
Jurg Frey: String Quartets
(Collection QB)



Ryan Scott:
21st-Century Canadian Snare Drum
[2 CDs]
(Collection QB)



Samuel Blaser Quartet:
Rosina
(Blaser Music)



Samuel Blaser Quartet:
Rosina
[CASSETTE + DOWNLOAD]
(Blaser Music)



TRAC (
Teddy Ryles/
Alexander Cooper):
Heavy Nano Ream Aria
[2 CDs]
(Bu Lang Tribute Cake)



Tyshawn Sorey (
w/
O'Farrill/
Shim/
Korten/
Allen II/
Victor):
Members... Don't!
[2 CDs]
(Pi Recordings)



Josh Berman Trio:
Everybody Else's Life,
Too
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)



Charles Downs Quartet (
w/
Paz/
Saft/
Morris):
Inner
(ESP Disk)



Satoko Fujii:
Bunker Ulmenwall Orchestra
[2 CDs]
(Libra)



Henry Kaiser:
Gateway To Strangeness (
solo guitar)
(Metalanguage)



Michael Marcus Quartet (
Marcus/
Williams/
Rodriguez/
Mednard):
Next Stop Down
(ESP Disk)



Le GGRIL + DDK:
Diffraction
(Tour de Bras/
Circum-Disc)



Jason Kahn/
Phil Durrant/
Mark Wastell/
Caius Williams:
Where The Stars
(Editions)



The Williams Tony Emergency w/ John McLaughlin/
Larry Young:
Emergency!
(ALAY)







Squidco
Click here to
advertise with
The Squid's Ear






The Squid's Ear pays its writers.
Interested in becoming a reviewer?




The Squid's Ear is the companion magazine to the online music shop Squidco !


  Copyright © Squidco. All rights reserved. Trademarks. (107576)