Review Summary: A sparse and highly intense modern composition. Evokes Miles Davis, Supersilent, and Tartar Lamb.
EAQuartett is essentially an offshoot of the “electro-orchestra” GRIM. As ridiculous as that sounds, the bands name has little to do with the music they play. Self described as “the perfect meeting point for the experimental and explorative tensions of different musicians, whose background range from classical music to contemporary, from jazz to the extreme boundaries of rock” EAQuartett fall in the realm of Supersilent with an obvious appreciation towards the kraut and free jazz scenes of the late ‘60s and ‘70s. A fellow RYMer described this album along the lines of being the perfect exploration of the lucid nature of the static space in Bitches Brew and In a Silent Way which is an excellent description. This is certainly orchestrated music but a resilient attitude of free form is always dipping itself into the mixing pot of this quartet. Electroacoustiquarett is a unique experience that dots the minimal and spontaneous with a sense of complete and heavily complex composition.
I’m going to cater towards the people that respect my opinion and say that if you had interest in Tartar Lamb or Toby Driver’s solo work that this album will most likely be up your alley. Its basis in the cathartic power of the loud and soft motif is extremely similar with that prolific composer and also the strangeness of some of the melodies seems to be rooted in the Tzadik family. The quartet consists of guitar, drums, various horns and electronics, so obviously the lack of a distinct low end is going to give the groups compositions a much more airy feel. Very little music on this album is rock related, and when it does become such it is very much like the piece “Onhda” which seems as equally inspired by bebop as it is by post-rock. “Vuoto Sottile” is a beautifully groovy piece that if stripped into singular instrumental tracks would probably sound like four different songs conjoined into one insanely moving production. Andres Melani, the percussionist on this album is probably the highlight in terms of actual instrumental prowess, but that is not to say that any of the other members of the quartet turn in an unsatisfying performance. The horns are all sharp and clear, the guitars are clean and spontaneous almost evoking a hybrid of Davis trained McLaughlin and Michael Rother of Neu! fame. Electronics add subtle accents to further help distinct the group from their contemporaries. Most impressive is the production on Electroacoustiquarett which is able to ooze its way across the aural landscape creating a sparse and intense sound that is truly unrivaled in terms of recent albums that evoke its style.
Electroacoustiquarett is certainly not a recording for everyone. This is sparse, static music that has little to no logical end. It is like I said based in the spontaneous and rigidly organized but while I may be implying that it was composed very intrinsically it shows very little in the actual compositions. Still, for those looking for something that is challenging, enjoyable, and fun EAQuartett’s latest release will not disappoint.
