The third release for the Chicago collective improvising trio of Jeff Kimmel on clarinet & electronics, Ishmael Ali on cello & electronics and Bill Harris on drums & feedback, acoustic interplay in the foreground with electronics adding layers of intriguing sonic pressure as their playing evolves through clear and cohesive conversation over punctuated & textural foundations.
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Sample The Album:
Jeff Kimmel-clarinet, electronics
Ishmael Ali-cello, electronics
Bill Harris-drums, feedback
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Label: Amalgam
Catalog ID: AMA046
Squidco Product Code: 34534
Format: CASSETTE
Condition: New
Released: 2023
Country: USA
Packaging: Cassette
Recorded at Audio For the Arts, in Madison, Wisconsin, on May 14th, 2022, by Buzz Kemper.
"With their latest release, Flora Oblique, Jeff Kimmel, Ishmael Ali, and Bill Harris continue to explore the possibilities of their improvisational interplay, this time captured live at Audio For the Arts in Madison, Wisconsin. The trio's third record showcases their evolution as a unit, building on the experimental groundwork laid by their previous albums A Pound of Salt (577 Records, 2019) and Vivary (Amalgam, 2021).
Flora Oblique sees the trio weaving together intricate layers of sound, with bursts of contrast that add an unpredictable edge. Despite the album's improvised nature, the musicians display a remarkable coherence and telepathic connection as they navigate the unpredictable terrain.
On "Daytime Advanced Relentlessly," for example, the trio creates a hypnotic narrative, with Kimmel's sonorous clarinet contrasted by Ali's pointed cello phrases intertwining with Harris's insistent pulse. The piece gradually builds in intensity, with the electronics adding a subtle yet menacing undercurrent, dissolving into a lopsided groove, before finally dissolving into a haunting soundscape.
Meanwhile, on "Faint, Diffuse, and Peculiar," the trio showcases their ability to create a wide range of textures and moods, with Kimmel's skittering clarinet lines and Harris's frenzied drumming providing a restless energy, while Ali's cello adds a mournful counterpoint. The piece eventually gives way to a mesmerizing drone, with the electronics taking center stage and the acoustic instruments receding into the background.
Throughout Flora Oblique, the trio demonstrates a remarkable ability to create a rich, immersive sonic world, full of unexpected twists and turns. Whether they're exploring the outer limits of their instruments or crafting delicate, introspective moments, Kimmel, Ali, and Harris display a deep empathy and understanding of each other's playing. This is improvisational music at its most adventurous and rewarding, and Flora Oblique is a testament to the power of spontaneous composition, and its narrative power and creation.""-Ingrid Winters, 2023
Artist Biographies
• Show Bio for Jeff Kimmel "Jeff Kimmel is a Chicago-based clarinetist whose work encompasses improvisation, new and experimental music, and interdisciplinary collaborations. Jeff is a regular contributor to Chicago's improvised music community, and has performed at Harris Theater, Logan Center for the Arts and the Chicago Cultural Center. He collaborates with Andrew Tham as part of the multimedia concern Current Conditions, has performed with experimental music ensemble a.pe.ri.od.ic, and toured with puppet theatre company Manual Cinema. Jeff's work has been funded by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, and he was awarded a residency at the Atlantic Center for the Arts to work with Roscoe Mitchell. Originally from Greenville, SC, Jeff holds a B.M. from New England Conservatory." ^ Hide Bio for Jeff Kimmel • Show Bio for Ishmael Ali "Ishmael Ali is a first generation Filipino-Arab-American cellist, guitarist, improviser, composer, and electronic artist currently residing in Chicago. His work centers on exploring sound through improvisation, experimentation, collaboration, as well as a wide array of idiomatic approaches in an ever-changing, always-growing list of projects with diverse focuses and influences.Though varying drastically from group to group, a common thread in his work is the juxtaposition of seemingly disparate elements to create something new: both foreign and familiar. In addition to performing, Mr. Ali is a co-founder and audio engineer at the recording space Marmalade in Chicago and was the founder and director of the now inoperative music and art space, Orotund Music. He continues to work as an organizer and promoter through the music series OBTC." ^ Hide Bio for Ishmael Ali • Show Bio for Bill Harris "Bill Harris is a percussionist, composer, improviser, and audio engineer from Pittsburgh currently based in Chicago. He also operates and produces for Amalgam, a Chicago-based collective. (B. 1987, Pittsburgh, PA) Bill has been active in Chicago's music communities since 2011, working at the intersection of free improvisation, jazz, noise, rock, and country. His music has been presented at Constellation, Elastic Arts, The Bop Stop, The Hungry Brain, The Hideout, Experimental Sound Studios, Spot Tavern, Beat Kitchen, Empty Bottle, and Comfort Station. Bill is humbled to have played or recorded with Jim Baker, Dave Rempis, Kent Kessler, Brian Sandstrom, Ed Wilkerson, Carol Genetti, Angel Bat Dawid, Jeb Bishop, Peter Maunu, Josh Berman, Brandon Lopez, Keefe Jackson, and Jason Roebke, among many other experimental and improvisatory musicians and artists. Bill is constantly inspired by and thankful to work with his frequent collaborators: Ishmael Ali, Jake Wark, Timothee Quost, PT Bell, Gerrit Hatcher, Eli Namay, Matt Piet, Brianna Tong, Wills McKenna, David Fletcher, Jess McIntosh, Aaron Smith, Jeff Kimmel, Adam Shead, Molly Jones, Jakob Heinemann, and many others... In 2015 he started Amalgam, a 100% artist-run collective and label dedicated to showcasing works of improvised and experimental music in Chicago. Bill is also an audio engineer working in both studio and live situations, and operates an independent studio in Chicago with engineering, mixing, mastering, and production credits on labels such as Amalgam, Astral Spirits, No Index, 577 Records and Ears&Eyes." ^ Hide Bio for Bill Harris
10/2/2024
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10/2/2024
Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
10/2/2024
Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
Track Listing:
SIDE A
1. Daytime Advanced Relentlessly 21:05
SIDE A
1. Faint, Diffuse & Peculiar 19:45
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