The Squid's Ear Magazine


W-2 (Sam Weinberg / Chris Welcome): Fanatics [CASSETTE + DOWNLOAD] (Astral Spirits)

The Brooklyn duo of saxophonist Sam Weinberg (Captain Phillips) and synth player Chris Welcome (Chris Pitsiokos, Mike Pride) in an album of abrasive, rhythmically abraded and contorted electro-acoustic improvisation, each player embedding themselves into each other's sound, at time making their instruments indistinguishable from one another.
 

Price: $7.95



Quantity:

In Stock

Quantity in Basket: None

Log In to use our Wish List Shipping Weight: 4.00 units

Sample The Album:





product information:

Personnel:



Sam Weinberg-tenor saxophone

Chris Welcome-synthesizer


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




Label: Astral Spirits
Catalog ID: AS048
Squidco Product Code: 24737

Format: CASSETTE
Condition: New
Released: 2017
Country: USA
Packaging: Cassette
Recorded at JACK, in Brooklyn, New York, on May 14th, 2016, by Jaimie Branch.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Brooklyn-based electroacoustic outfit W-2 have been honing their distinct sound over the past 2.5 years. Comprised of tenor saxophonist Sam Weinberg and synthesizist Chris Welcome (the Flying Luttenbachers), the music on Fanatics takes their decidedly contorted sound to its furthest extreme - ceaseless abraded timbres abound at every turn, punishing noise walls suddenly interrupted by abrasive blips, sudden digressions and an unflinching sense of urgency.

Given the disparate nature of their instruments, the blend that Welcome and Weinberg are able to conjure is enviable and one of the most notable aspects of the group-when listening to Fanatics it's often difficult to discern where certain sounds are coming from and who is producing them. Weinberg explains: "From the outset of the project, Chris and I were both really interested in exploring and exploiting the possibilities that come from thoroughly embedding ourselves deeply in each other's sounds. When playing with W-2 we've tried to develop a language that makes the two instruments indistinguishable from one another."-Astral Spirits


Artist Biographies

"Sam Weinberg is a Brooklyn based saxophonist, improviser and composer whose playing ranges from the textural and timbral to slippery and melodic. With equal footing in non-idiomatic free improvisation, free jazz, and notated musics, Weinberg attempts to push the language and capacity of the saxophone beyond its usual, assumed limits. Current outfits include Maestro Day, a quartet he co-leads with bassist Henry Fraser (along w Joe Moffett and Connor Baker) which explores novel forms of composition, structure and group interaction ; W-2 with synthesizist Chris Welcome, an abrasive, rhythmically abraded and contorted electro-acoustic duo ; Captain Phillips with snare drummer David Grollman which borrows performative elements and humor in its performances. Other improvised collaborations/ projects are many and varied and include the likes of Jaimie Branch, Jack Wright, Andrew Smiley, Brandon Lopez, Chris Pitsiokos, Jon Lipscomb and Weasel Walter.

For a year and a half, he was a curator at the weekly music series A.E. Randolph Presents at Bar Below Rye in S. Williamsburg, Brooklyn."

-Sam Weinberg Website (https://samweinbergsax.wordpress.com/about/)
11/29/2023

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

"From sparse chamber-jazz to spastic avant-metal, Chris Welcome lends his unique voice to a variety of ensembles. He has performed withHOT DATE, Apocalypso, Mothguts, Mike Pride's Drummer's Corpse, his own quartet, and many others. As a composer, he has written extensively for his quartet and for various chamber ensembles. His compositions combine space and pointillism with extended techniques, electronics and a loose, Jazz sensibility. Chris Welcome attended Rutgers University where he studied closely with Vic Juris, Stanley Cowell, and Ralph Bowen. He was born in 1980 in New York and grew up in the Chicago area where he studied guitar with Frank Portolese. He currently lives in Brooklyn, NY."

-Chris Welcome Website (http://chriswelcome.com/About.html)
11/29/2023

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


Track Listing:



SIDE A



1. Beige and Distrustful 10:44

2. Wrinkle Shouldered 01:55

3. Decisive Profanity 07:00

4. Infinite Care at the Outset 04:46

SIDE B



1. Thread and a Splinter 04:22

2. Generous Contortions 07:59

3. Handsome Lady With An Armful of Orchids 11:23

Related Categories of Interest:


Cassettes
Improvised Music
Electro-Acoustic
Electro-Acoustic Improv
Sound, Noise, &c.
NY Downtown & Metropolitan Jazz/Improv
Duo Recordings
New in Experimental & Electronic Music
Physical Releases that include Download Codes

Cassettes
Improvised Music
Electro-Acoustic
Electro-Acoustic Improv
Sound, Noise, &c.
NY Downtown & Metropolitan Jazz/Improv
Duo Recordings
New in Experimental & Electronic Music
Physical Releases that include Download Codes
Last Copy of Items that will not be restocked...

Search for other titles on the label:
Astral Spirits.


Recommended & Related Releases:
Weinberg, Sam / Henry Fraser / Weasel Walter
Grist
(ugEXPLODE)
Hard-edged NY improvisation from the performing trio of Sam Weinberg on sax, Henry Fraser on bass and Weasel Walter on drums, who since 2017 have developed a group sound of powerful and fiercely determined free jazz roots using interesting instrumental technique, often muscular and urgent but also with periods of constrained interplay and dialog; an extremely well balanced band.
Knuffke, Kirk / Frederico Ughi / Chris Welcome
Garden Of Gifts
(577 Records)
An early example of the focus and encompassing direction of the 577 label run by Italian-born/NY-based drummer Federico Ughi, in a trio with trumpeter Kirk Knuffke and guitarist Chris Welcome, building from an introspective approach to free playing as they expand their group energy through shards of organic sound, finally releasing into a beautiful "Inner Void".
Other Recommended Releases:
Williams, Chris / Patrick Shiroishi
Sans Soleil II [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD]
(Astral Spirits)
The second chapter in the duo of West Coast improvisers Chris Williams on trumpet, cornet, objects & mutes and Patrick Shiroishi on alto, soprano and tenor saxophones plus snare drum, essentially a free jazz outing of six fascinating dialogs, from call and response to pointillistic interaction, a masterful display of assertive playing through intensive listening.
McEvoy, Aonghus
Under & Cracked [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD]
(Astral Spirits)
Beautifully flowing acoustic avant folk under a diverse set of influences from the Dublin five-piece band led by acoustic and electric guitarist Aonghus McEvoy, with George Brennan on electronics, David Lacey on drums, Sean Maynard Smith on upright bass and Ailbhe Nic Oireachtaigh on viola, evolving their tracks from pastoral to edgy agitation or ecstatic drone.
Fraser / McCowen / Weinberg
Thip [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD]
(Tripticks Tapes)
Recorded primarily at Issue Project Room in Brooklyn and leveraging the natural resonance of that performance space, the New York trio of innovative improvisers Henry Frase on double bass, John McCowen on Bb and contrabass clarinets and Sam Weinberg on tenor & soprano saxophones explore the peripheries of their instruments in intense and reflective interplay.
Leonardi, Stefano / Antonio Bertoni
Viandes [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD]
(Astral Spirits)
Using unusual techniques and a collection of instruments that include the standard Western instruments of cello and flute, along with guembri, sulittu, dilli kaval, bass xun, launeddas (mancosedda, tumbu), plus the application of objects against strings, the Italian duo of Antonio Bertoni & Stefano Leonardi engage in seven remarkable and assertive improvised duos.
Nealand, Aurora / Steve Marquette / Anton Hatwich / Paul Thibodeaux
Kobra Quartet [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD]
(Astral Spirits)
Quietly lurking as it prepares to attack, this Kobra is the free improvising quaret of Aurora Nealand on accordion, alto saxophone, voice & objects, Steve Marquette on acoustic & electric guitars, Anton Hatwich on bass, and Paul Thibodeaux on drums, captured live at Chicago's Hungry Brain during the Instigation Festival for a mysterious 2-part "New Omens" and some "Telly Attire".
Majkowski, Mike
Days and Other Days [VINYL]
(Astral Spirits)
Following double bassist Mike Majkowski's Astral Spirts cassette "Neighbouring Objects", this vinyl release is Majkowski's 7th solo album, here using analog synthesizer, percussion, piano, vibraphone, samples, and field recordings to create an amazing sonic universe through sound, tone, timbre, deep cogitation and mutant interjections.



Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought:
Amba, Zoh / William Parker / Francisco Mela
O Life, O Light Vol. 1
(577 Records)
New generation New York tenor saxophonist Zoe Amba, a Tennessee transplant whose spirit is illuminated with free styles that harken back to Ayler, recording in the studio with a trio of luminary players--William Parker on bass and Francisco Mela on drums--performing three Amba compositions, one featuring Amba on flute; the CD edition contains one bonus improvisation.
Gustafsson, Mats / Joachim Nordwall
Shadows of Tomorrow b/w The Brain Produces Electrical Waves [7'' VINYL w/ DOWNLOAD]
(Astral Spirits)
After their duo album A Map of Guilt and many albums together under various Fire! groupings, Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson and electronic artist Joachim Nordwall face off again for a limited 7" single: two simmering dialogs, remarkable counterpunches of rumbling synthetics, instrumental noise, pulsating bass tones, heavy breath and terrifying innuendo!
Jackson / Baker / Kirshner
So Glossy and So Thin [CASSETTE W/ DOWNLOAD]
(Astral Spirits)
The second release for the Chicago trio of Keefe Jackson on tenor & sopranino saxophones, Jim Baker on piano & synthesizer, and Julian Kirshner on drums, following their 2016 album The Noisy Miner, are heard in two performances a year apart at the Hungry Brain, each an extended exploration of remarkably compatible, creative and uniquely lyrical collective collaboration.av
Bishop, Jeb Centrifugal Trio
[CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD]
(Astral Spirits)
A live recording from zentri-fuge in Berlin, led by trombonist Jeb Bishop, with Milan bassist Antonio Borghini (Mike Patton's Mondo Cane) and German drummer Michael Griener (Carl-Ludwig Hübsch' Primordial Soup), in a collective set of free and energetic improvisations, five pieces that "Jounce", "Jitter", "Plumb" and "Dither" through an exciting and expressive concert.
CARL (Damon Smith / Daniel Kamins / Andrew Durham)
Solid Bottom [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD]
(Astral Spirits)
Two basses and a lower-end saxophone from the trio of Damon Smith on double bass, Andrew Durham on electric bass, and Danny Kamins on baritone sax, Durham also adding effects and "Radio Manipulation" to their deep sound, Durham & Kamins the core of CARL with Damon Smith adding extra underpinnings to their slowly developing, sometimes pensive, sometimes cantankerous, profound improvisation.
Thomas / Butcher / Solberg
Fictional Souvenirs [CASSETTE]
(Astral Spirits)
Performing in concert at Iklectik in London in 2017, the UK and Norwegian free improvising trio of Pat Thomas on Moog Theremini & IPad based electronics, John Butcher on saxophones, and Stale Liavik Solberg on drums & percussion impress through a mix of masterful free playing and eclectic electroacoustic conversations, an adventurous and wonderfully unpredictable set.
Guionnet, Jean-Luc / Dan Warburton / Eric La Casa
Metro Pre saint-Gervais
(Swarming)
A reissue of the 2002 Chloe label album, where Jean Luc Guionnet on alto saxophone, Dan Warburton on violin, and Eric La Casa on microphones use the ambiance of the Paris Pre Saint-Gervais metro station as the starting point for free improvisations, using their surrounding as inspiration while they record a most unusual album of urban sound and discourse.
Nakatani, Tatsuya
Nakatani Mixtape Vol 1 - 2018 [CASSETTE]
(Nakatani-Kobo)
A series of recordings from percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani's many travels in the US and Canada, both live and in the studio, with solo work and duos with Mark Molnar on cello, Mark Weaver on tuba, Gil Selinger on cello, Bonnie Kane on amplified saxophone and flute, and Rhonda Taylor on baritone saxophone.
Hawkins, Chester
Magnetisk Nord
(Intangible Arts)
Chester Hawkins' curiosity for Denmark resulted in his renting an apartment in central Kobenhavn, bringing along his electronically modified lapsteel guitar, wind and reed instruments, tabletop noise-boxes, mobile synthesizer apps and a shortwave radio, which he joined with field recordings from the capital region, creating this magnificent loveletter to Denmark.
Blonk, Jaap / Damon Smith
Hugo Ball: Sechs Laut- Und Klanggedichte 1916 (Six Sound Poems, 1916) [CASSETTE]
(Balance Point Acoustics)
Three free improvisations for voice & double bass + improvisations on Hugo Ball's Six Sound Poems from the duo of free improvising vocalist Jaap Blonk and double bassist Damon Smith.
Mutual Process
Untitled [CASSETTE]
(Discombobulate)
A collaboration mixing improvisation with sound & noise from sound artist Adam Denton, working primarily with the slithery tones that live within improvisation, and Sean Cotterill, whose work straddles the ocean of skronk guitar to live programming 'ones' and 'zeros'.
Various Artists
Because Tomorrow Comes #2
(Because Tomorrow Comes)
The second volume of this excellent German sound magazine and audio CD, 9 artists working in sound art, electroacoustic composition; a "listenable exhibition" of modern compositional approach.
Jefferson, Larry
Journey [CASSETTE]
(Rollax Records)
Electronic Artist Larry Jefferson explores issues of philosophy and loss and this is reflected in this collection of 9 songs & music in a professionally manufactured cassette.
Savoldelli, Boris
Biocosmopolitan
(MoonJune)
Vocalist Savoldelli in an exquisitely-crafted album of overdubbed vocal work, with help from trumpeter Paolo Fresu and bassist Jimmy Haslip; elaborite harmonies, interlocking rhythms, exultant influences.



The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

© 2002-, Squidco LLC