The trio of Frank Gratkowski on clarinets and alto sax, Michael Vorfeld on percussion, and Richard Scott on modular synthesizer, also known as Spectre, freely improvising in dramatic and generally reserved ways, intently focusing on sound and interchange.
Format: CD Condition: New Released: 2015 Country: Portugal Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold Recorded February 2015 in Berlin, Germany by Ernesto Rodrigues.
"Of these three, Michael Vorfeld is the guy I know. His music has been reviewed quite a bit in Vital Weekly; he's a percussion player with quite a reputation in the field of improvised music. I am not sure if I heard about the two others before. There is Frank Gratkowski on bass and contrabass clarinet, bb clarinet and alto saxophone (a previous work by him was reviewed in Vital Weekly 560, but not by me) and there is Richard Scott on modular synthesizer, what I call sometimes the 'new laptop' (everybody has one!). I don't think I know him.
In February last year they recorded these seven pieces in Berlin, which were mixed by Scott later on. What can be noticed is that despite the use of a modular synthesizer much of these seven pieces sound like more traditional improvised music. Especially Gratkowski's addition to the menu seems conventional to me. But also Vorfeld occasionally goes along in that way, banging the hell out of his kit. In 'Ungelöst', the sixth piece, the modular goes more upfront and the others play a much moody tune. This is the shortest piece on offer here, but for me it's also the best one.
Gratkowski's contribution also seems to be the jazziest one, in a very free role of course, which makes this probably also more conventional than I would love to see. When this trio hit upon a quiet tone, a sustaining cluster, such as in 'Kurs Haltend' or that previously mentioned 'Ungelöst' there is immediately tension; I would have loved to see more of that experimental film noir music and perhaps a bit less conventional free jazz/improvised. There is however some great bits to be found here, but not throughout."-Frans de Ward, Vital Weekly