Label: Clean Feed, 2021
Personnel - Oli Steidle: drums, percussion, marimba; Dan Nicholls: keyboards, bass, sampling; Frank Mobus: guitar; Phillip Gropper: saxophones; Phil Donkin: bass; Nathalie Sandtorv: vocals (#8); Jelena Kuljic: vocals, sampler; Liv Nicholls: backing vocals.
The Killing Popes, a brainchild of the inventive German drummer/percussionist Oli Steidle, is now a duo with the inclusion of Dan Nicholls who, besides producing, plays keyboards, bass and sampling. The duo crosses genre barriers with legitimacy, counting on the close-distance interplay of musicians such as guitarist Frank Mobus, saxophonist Phillip Gropper, bassist Phil Donkin and a trio of guest vocalists.
The new album, Ego Kills, oozes out a weirdly intoxicating feel, and “Bling Bling Frog$”, being as much playful as it is unorthodox, takes us into an electro-jazz universe with intense concentration of depth-charged odd beats, round funky bass playing, fragmented fluxes and nifty ostinatos. Gropper’s vivid saxophone makes a nice contrast with the effects-laden soundscapes created by spacious guitar and soaring synths.
“Butcher” effectively blends experimental funk-rock and nu breaks with an outrageously fun pose, drawing attention to its rhythmic diversity as well as Mobus’ guitar work, which veers from adamant staccato to improvisatory off-kilter. His art-rock boldness also bursts into view on “Chthulu”, where plummeting breakbeats, jazzy keyboard sounds and angular unisons exude a transcendent grace that hooks us in.
The psychedelia offered in “Hi Five” takes you through blurred landscapes with warped trajectories and slinky distortions. There are discerning accents, jittery drumming and fast bass walks set in motion with tonal purpose.
The clangorous, drum-saturated “Legitimacy Loop” introduces “F-U-C-K”, which - featuring the voice of Nathalie Sandtorv - combines streamlined and wrinkled textures. At one point we find deep saxophone figures and sustained keyboard clouds set against a mix of krautrock-like rhythms and experimental electronica, but at another stage there’s an ambient guitar wrapped in lo-fi surroundings.
The vocals and text by Jelena Kuljic inflames the agitated “King of Soap”, whose punk attitude is bolstered by Steidl. Commanding with authority from the drum kit, the latter's plan metamorphoses again on the closing title, “Long Live the Popes”, where the band explores groove with a funky temperament before turning to electronica and dark ambient.
Ego Kills is a place where free jazzers can enjoy a vast palette of sounds that are commonly associated with electronic dance music. It’s unconventional, complex stuff with a tight grip on dynamics and a screaming production.
Grade A-
Favorite Tracks:
03 - Butcher ► 06 - Chthulu ► 08 - F-U-C-K