The Squid's Ear
Recently @ Squidco:

Wheelhouse (Rempis / Adasiewicz / McBride):
House And Home (Aerophonic)

Reuniting after more than a decade, the Chicago-rooted trio of Dave Rempis (saxophones), Jason Adasiewicz (vibes), and Nate McBride (bass) rekindle their distinctive free-improvising chamber aesthetic in this live recording, blending texture-rich interplay and deep personal history into a resonant, nuanced return that reflects years of evolution, distance, and reconnection. ... Click to View


Wheelhouse (Rempis / Adasiewicz / McBride):
House And Home [VINYL] (Aerophonic)

Reuniting after more than a decade, the Chicago-rooted trio of Dave Rempis (saxophones), Jason Adasiewicz (vibes), and Nate McBride (bass) rekindle their distinctive free-improvising chamber aesthetic in this live recording, blending texture-rich interplay and deep personal history into a resonant, nuanced return that reflects years of evolution, distance, and reconnection. ... Click to View


Chris Brown / Ben Davis :
Jongleurs (Artifact Recordings)

A captivating set of freely improvised duos bridging experimentation and jazz forms from pianist and electronics artist Chris Brown and cellist-percussionist Ben Davis, recorded at Wide Hive Studios in California, where the duo explore dynamic textures and shifting rhythmic pulses in an organic and deeply communicative exchange that embraces spontaneity and collaborative openness. ... Click to View


BlueRing Improvisers:
Materia [2 CDs] (Aut)

A double CD of inventive and richly textural improvisation from the BlueRing Improvisers, a ten-member ensemble inspired by the radical material aesthetics of artist Alberto Burri, recorded during a creative residency in Tuscany where the group explored sound as substance through composed and improvised works emphasizing gesture, timbre, and interdisciplinary expression. ... Click to View


Massimo De Mattia Suonomadre (De Matia / Kaucic / Pacorig / Vitale):
Domicide (Aut)

A powerful acoustic studio session from flutist Massimo De Mattia's Suonomadre ensemble with Zlatko Kaucic on drums & percussion, Giorgio Pacorig on piano, and Luigi Vitale on vibes, marimba & percussion, shifting from prior electronic approaches to explore urgent themes of loss and displacement through raw, unfiltered improvisation that merges expressive virtuosity with politically reflective intensity. ... Click to View


Gianni Mimmo / Ove Volquartz :
Say When (Aut)

A transcendent duo improvisation between soprano saxophonist Gianni Mimmo and low-reed multi-instrumentalist Ove Volquartz, who sculpt spontaneous sound into shifting forms and textures, crafting an immanent and unadorned expression that unfolds in dynamic interplay, breath, and resonance without narrative, embracing the moment with unwavering intensity. ... Click to View


Thee Checkered Shoed Dude:
A 'Lil Test Of That (Love Earth Music)

Blending layered studio experimentation with raw live performance, the mysterious Thee Checkered Shoe Dude's album traverses glitchy textures, looped electronics, and spontaneous energy, recorded in Miami and on stage in Phoenix and Sacramento, for a vibrant and unpredictable electroacoustic journey that bridges structured sound design and chaotic improvisation. ... Click to View


+DOG+:
Peace (Love Earth Music)

A long-running experimental noise unit led by Steve Davis and featuring Lob Instagon, +DOG+ craft a subtle and textural set of eighteen lo-fi electroacoustic improvisations recorded in Massachusetts, California, and Rhode Island, blending electronics, field recordings, and minimalist structures with a calm, intimate, and exploratory aesthetic. ... Click to View


Ivo Perelman / Matthew Shipp:
Armageddon Flower (Tao Forms)

A summit of master improvisers as tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman joins the Matthew Shipp String Trio — Shipp on piano, Mat Maneri on viola, and William Parker on bass — for a profound studio session of dynamic, four-way conversation that balances drama with hope, forging a richly textured and deeply expressive work of improvised chamber jazz. ... Click to View


Evan Parker / Jean-Marc Foussat:
Insolence [VINYL] (NASHAZPHONE)

A collaboration between two towering improvisers — soprano saxophonist Evan Parker and synth/voice experimentalist Jean-Marc Foussat — presenting two incisive live duo performances from the 2023 Improtech Festival, paired with archival solo works from the early 1980s, in a release that bridges free improvisation’s enduring quest for expressive freedom across decades. ... Click to View


Alan Niblock / John Butcher / Mark Sanders:
Tectonic Plates (577 Records)

A formidable trio debut from Irish double bassist Alan Niblock with British improvisers John Butcher on saxophones and Mark Sanders on drums and percussion, recorded live at The Black Box in Belfast and unfolding across five tectonically inspired pieces that channel collective intuition, dynamic interplay, and seismic shifts of intensity and form. ... Click to View


Herzog / Muche / Nillesen:
Anasynthesi (thanatosis produktion)

Exploring the dissolution of musical form through extended techniques and microtonal interplay, and guided by the Greek concept of anasýnthesi (ἀνασύνθεσις) — meaning "recomposition" or "reconstruction" — the Cologne-based trio of Constantin Herzog (double bass), Matthias Muche (trombone), and Etienne Nillesen (snare drum) presents an immersive piece shaped by emergent sonic phenomena and a constantly shifting balance of resonance, friction, and form. ... Click to View


Nakama (Holm / Roysum / Tanaka / Wildhagen / Svendsen):
New World (Nakama Records)

A new quintet configuration from Norwegian collective Nakama, recorded in Oslo with clarinetists Klaus Ellerhusen Holm and Andreas Røysum joining Christian Meaas Svendsen, Ayumi Tanaka, and Andreas Wildhagen in nine pieces that blend compositional structure with free improvisation, post-production treatments, and dynamic interplay across chamber-like and explosive sonic terrain. ... Click to View


Solar Cells:
Warm Spell (Eternal Music Projects)

The debut from the Australian, Naarm-based electronic project Solar Cells presents a hypnotic exploration of modular synthesis and cyclic rhythm, drawing from kosmische traditions and minimalist structures through analog gear and tape effects to create immersive, slowly evolving soundscapes rich in texture, pulse, and experimental clarity. ... Click to View


Dream Weapon:
New Blue Lagoon (Eternal Music Projects)

Under the alias Dream Weapon, Australian visual artist Ben Björk crafts a lush and immersive sonic journey recorded over five years across five continents, blending ambient, new age, shoegaze, and field recordings into a tropical "AmbienGaze" soundscape that drifts from sunrise serenity to twilight unease in a single day's arc. ... Click to View


Juice Machine:
Yachats (Love Earth Music)

Recorded across two seasons in coastal Oregon, Yachats showcases the late Heather Chessman and Roger Smith as Juice Machine, sculpting fragile, tape-based electro-acoustic collages that blend field recordings, loops, and discreet electronics into seven immersive vignettes — each a poetic meditation on place, memory, and sonic texture. ... Click to View


+DOG+:
The Light Of Our Lives [2 CDs] (Love Earth Music)

A two-CD immersion in live experimental noise by +DOG+'s Steve Davis and core collaborators, documented across multiple U.S. cities in 2024-25, weaving together feral improvisation, layered electronics, ambient detours, and cathartic sonic eruptions into a raw and immersive journey through texture, intensity, and collective sound exploration. ... Click to View


Abrasion Addict / Animal Machine:
Split (Love Earth Music)

A raw and punishing split release from UK noise artists Abrasion Addict (Joe Fowler) and Animal Machine (Bohr Ernst), presenting studio and live recordings — including a 2017 Brighton performance — of unrelenting sonic extremity, where dense textures, abrasive dynamics, and fractured structures embody the visceral force of the harsh noise underground. ... Click to View


John Butcher / John Edwards:
This Is Not Speculation (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

A remarkable live recording from Einstein Kultur in Munich, reuniting British free improvisation masters John Butcher on saxophones and John Edwards on double bass in four expansive, detailed, and often breathtaking duets, exploring abstract soundscapes with razor-sharp interplay, extended techniques, and an uncompromising sense of sonic exploration. ... Click to View


Jerome Deupree / Sylvie Courvoisier / Lester St. Louis / Joe Morris:
Canyon [2 CDs] (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Recorded at Firehouse 12 Studios, Canyon brings together four exceptional improvisers — drummer Jerome Deupree, pianist Sylvie Courvoisier, bassist Joe Morris, and cellist Lester St. Louis — for a double album of fluid, high-stakes interaction, balancing volatility and restraint as they carve out richly detailed sonic terrain with spontaneous precision. ... Click to View


Izumi Kimura / Lina Andonovska / Dominique Pifarely:
Seven Dreams (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Recorded live at Dublin's National Concert Hall, the trio of Izumi Kimura (piano), Lina Andonovska (flutes), and Dominique Pifarély (violin) weave a poetic and deeply intuitive improvisational performance, blending extended techniques and refined sensitivity into a dreamlike suite of tactile, intimate, and emotionally resonant sound worlds. ... Click to View


Lava Quartet feat. Almut Kuhne / Jordina Milla / Goncalo Almeida / Wieland Moller:
Ethereal Chant (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

The debut from the international Lava Quartet — Almut Kühne (voice), Jordina Milla (piano), Gonçalo Almeida (bass), and Wieland Möller (percussion) — capturing the ensemble's dynamic interplay and fearless improvisation across two European venues, blending extended techniques, expressive freedom, and unconventional sonic textures in a deeply creative and spontaneous journey. ... Click to View


Joe McPhee / Susanna Gartmayer / John Edwards / Maria Portugal:
Monster (Klanggalerie)

Recorded live at the 2023 Music Unlimited Festival in Wels, Austria, this powerhouse quartet of Joe McPhee, Susanna Gartmayer, John Edwards, and Maria Portugal delivers an electrifying set of spontaneous composition, blending fierce improvisation, commanding technique, and bold interplay in a dynamic performance brimming with vitality and creative approaches to improv. ... Click to View


Kim Jae Jung:
Shamanism (Relative Pitch)

A powerful and ritualistic session from South Korea's free improvisation scene, with tenor and soprano saxophones (Jung-Jae Kim & Sunjae Lee) and dual drum kits (Junyoung Song & Sunki Kim) channeling ancestral Korean shamanic ceremony through raw, primal energy, breath-driven phrasing, and a spiritual aesthetic that bridges indigenous tradition and contemporary free jazz expression. ... Click to View


Signe Emmeluth / Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten / Axel Filip:
Hyperboreal Trio (Relative Pitch)

Drawing on deep collaborative history and shared risk-taking instincts, the trio of alto saxophonist Signe Emmeluth, bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, and drummer Axel Filip deliver a debut of fierce, textural improvisation, recorded in Trondheim and shaped by dynamic interplay, shifting atmospheres, and a fearless drive to chart new sonic terrain. ... Click to View


Amy Cimini:
See You When I Get There (Relative Pitch)

The first solo album from West Coast violist Amy Cimini, blending amplified distortion, percussive textures, and spacious effects into a deeply personal and genre-blurring performance that channels experimental noise, tuneful abstraction, and the spirit of feminist rock and protest music into a resonant and evocative sonic journey. ... Click to View


Makoto Kawashima :
arteria (Relative Pitch)

A wild solo performance recorded at GOKsound in Tokyo by Japanese alto saxophonist Makoto Kawashima, whose intense and introspective improvisations balance fierce tonal expression with fragile silences, drawing from the lineage of Abe and Shiraishi while establishing his own haunting and highly individual voice in the realm of free improvisation. ... Click to View


Marco Eneidi Quintet (w / Johnston / Finkbelner / Smith / Anderson):
Wheat Fields of Kleylehof (Balance Point Acoustics)

A fiery and tightly woven 2004 quintet session led by alto saxophonist and composer Marco Eneidi, recorded before his move to Europe, with trumpeter Darren Johnston, guitarist John Finkbeiner, bassist Damon Smith, and drummer Vijay Anderson performing dynamic, sharply articulated compositions that balance exuberant improvisation with finely honed structure. ... Click to View


Eric Shorter:
Shorter Bendian Shields (577 Records)

A dynamic debut from multi-talented saxophonist Eric Shorter, joined by pianist David Shields and percussionist Gregg Bendian in a spirited trio session that replaces the traditional bass role with open, aleatoric freedom, creating an engaging interplay of spontaneous composition, expressive lyricism, and inventive harmonic exploration. ... Click to View


Ernesto Rodrigues / Ana Albino / Hernani Faustino / Carlos Santos:
A Glimpse To An End Of A Cycle (Creative Sources)

Recorded live in Lisbon in 2025, this quietly immersive quartet session from Ernesto Rodrigues, Ana Albino, Hernani Faustino, and Carlos Santos unfolds as a single extended movement of enigmatic timbral interplay, blending modular synth, electric guitar, viola and bass in a sparse, introspective soundscape shaped by mystery, fluidity, and subtle dynamic shifts. ... Click to View



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The Squid's Ear

About The Squid's Ear

The Squid's Ear is an online music review magazine that is a part of the online music shop Squidco. Phil Zampino is the editor and publisher of the site. The Squid's Ear concentrates on non-commercial experimental, improvisation, avant-garde, and unusual musical styles. The Squid's Ear publishes reviews for releases on sale at Squidco, but written by independent reviewers who are not staff members of Squidco. Our writer's critical voices add to our customer's ability to understand the music that we sell, and to make good choices about what they might find interesting in Squidco's catalog. Our writers are paid for their work, and represent some of the finest in both the online and print publishing world.

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

Squidco

Recent Selections @ Squidco:


Berlin Art Quartet (
Schubert /
Bauer /
Muller /
Bruggemann):
Live At MIM
(Unisono Records)



Jimmy Lyons:
Rivbea Live! Series,
Volume 3
(NoBusiness)



Erik Klinga:
Elusive Shimmer
(thanatosis produktion)



Das B (
Mazen Kerbaj /
Mike Majkowski /
Magda Mayas /
Tony Buck):
Love
(thanatosis produktion /
Corbett Vs Dempsey)



Brass Clouds:
Escape Vessels
(Bathysphere Records)



Fire! Orchestra:
Echoes
[2 CDs]
(Rune Grammofon)



Sophie Agnel /
John Edwards /
Steve Noble:
Three On A Match
(Otoroku)



Satoko Fujii
This is It! (
w/
Natsuki Tamura /
Takashi Itani):
Message
(Libra)



Sorry For Laughing (
G. Whitlow /
M. Bates /
Dave-Id /
E. Ka-Spel):
Rain Flowers
[2 CDS]
(Klanggalerie)



New Origin (
feat. Christoph Rocher /
Joe Fonda /
Harvey Sorge):
The Poet Walks
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Simon Nabatov:
Agree to Disagree
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Von Schlippenbach, Alexander /
Barry Altschul Quartet w/
Joe Fonda &
Rudi Mahal:
Free Flow
[2 CDs]
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Thelonious Monk with
Sonny Rollins:
1953 To 1957
Revisited
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



Daniel Carter /
Ayumi Ishito /
George Draguns /
Ed Wilcox:
Makeshift Spirituals
(577 Records)



Kory Reeder:
Homestead
(Another Timbre)



John Cage:
Chamber Works 1943-1951
(Another Timbre)



Josh Sinton:
Couloir &
Book Of Practitioners
Vol. 2
Book "W"
[2 CDs]
(FiP recordings)



Elliott Sharp /
Scott Fields:
Reimsi Geara
(Relative Pitch)



KnCurrent (
Brennan /
Cooper-Moore /
Davis /
Hwang):
KnCurrent
(Deep Dish)



Biota:
Measured Not Found
(Recommended Records)







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