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.


  Francisco Mela / Shinya Lin 
  Motions Vol. 1
  (577 Records) 


  
   review by Ken Waxman
  2022-08-18
Francisco Mela / Shinya Lin: Motions Vol. 1 (577 Records)

A departure for Cuban-American drummer Francisco Mela, known for his work with John Scofield, Motions Vol. 1 is a two-part session of free improvisation. It's also more directed towards the concepts of Taiwanese-American pianist Shinya Lin, who draws creative influence from John Cage and Cecil Taylor.

Properly titled since the textures expressed by Mela's drum kit and Linn's prepared piano are almost constantly in motion, only a few silent interludes precede Lin's quavering additionally vocalized yells, yodels or replicating bird squawks. While Cage's ideas of allowing some musical elements to be determined by the players are openly expressed in free improvisation like this one, Taylor's influence is more pronounced. Propelling contrasting dynamics as he stops and starts ragged expositions, Lin's jagged clips on the piano's highest-pitched keys are almost pure Taylor. Still his equivalent forays towards soundboard echoes while key stopping and juddering metal implements on the piano's prepared internal strings confirm his individuality. Sympathetic throughout, Mela's response to the pianist's inner string strumming or metronomic patterning is suitably laid back. Rim shots, snare accents and cymbal clanks are common, while the emphasis on wood, skin and wire from both players confirms the foreground acoustic properties of their instruments.

During the intense and protracted "Part 2", the stop-time continuum that propels the piece becomes faster and louder with staccato keyboard runs and prominent percussion drags and ruffs emphasized. Shudders and vibrating patterns from both are repeated as the piano's wooden frame is vibrated along with metronomic key shifts. Conflating dual dynamics, emphasized drum slaps and brush wisps confirm the ending. That's the ending not the end, as Vol. 1 in the title suggests. Curiosity remains as to what the two will create on Vol. 2.







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:


Derek Bailey/
John Stevens:
The Duke of
Wellington
(Confront)



Paul Dunmall:
Away With
Troubles And Anxieties!
(Discus)



Shifa (
Musson/
Thomas/
Sanders):
Ecliptic
(Discus)



Natsuki Tamura/
Satoko Fujii:
Ki
(Libra)



Borah Bergman/
Anthony Braxton/
Peter Brotzmann:
Eight By Three
(Mixtery)



Hedvig Mollestad Trio:
Bees In
The Bonnet
(Rune Grammofon)



Acid Mothers Temple &
The Melting Paraiso
UFO:
Black Mountain
ide
(Rolling Heads)



Evan Parker/
Bill Nace:
Branches (
Live at Cafe OTO)[VINYL]
(Open Mouth)



Alexander Hawkins/
Taylor Ho Bynum:
A Near Permanent State
Of Wonder
(RogueArt)



Joseph Holbrooke (
w/ Derek Bailey/
Gavin Bryars/
Tony Oxley):
Last Live 2001 -
In Memoriam
Derek Bailey
And
Tony Oxley
[2 CDs]
(Tzadik)



Zeena Parkins:
Modesty Of
The Magic Thing
(Tzadik)



Dave Douglas (
Douglas/
Ridout/
Adewumi/
Brennan/
Pass/
Royston):
Alloy
(Greenleaf Music)



Ivo Pereleman/
Nate Wooley/
Matt Moran/
Mark Helias/
Tom Rainey:
A Modicum
Of the Blues
(Fundacja Sluchaj!)



Angles 11:
Tell Them
It's The Sound Of Freedom
(Fundacja Sluchaj!)



Sifter (
w/ Lisa Mezzacappa):
Flake/
Fracture
(Queen Bee Records)



Jean-Marc Foussat:
Abbatage
(Fou Records)



Chester Hawkins:
Apsis
(Intangible Arts)



Karl Evangelista's Apura +
Andrew Cyrille:
Bukas
(577 Records)



Frode Gjerstad/
Alexander von Schlippenbach/
Dag Magnus Narvesen:
Seven Tracks
(Relative Pitch)



Kaze (
Fujii/
Tamura/
Orins/
Pruvost) with/ Koichi Makigami:
Shishiodoshi
(Circum-Libra)







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. (11809)