Label: Artifact Recordings, 2023

Personnel - Chris Brown: piano, electronics; Ben Davis: cello; Marshall Trammell: drums; Matt Ingalls: clarinet and bass clarinet (CD2 only).

This quartet of free improvisers from Oakland manages the art of sound with a strong desire to be spontaneous and creative. 12 electroacoustic tracks spread throughout two discs, the first of which is presented in trio format - with Chris Brown on piano and electronics, Ben Davis on cello and Marshall Trammell on drums - and the second as a quartet with the addition of clarinetist Matt Ingalls.

You won’t find loads of melody in here but more of rugged and grainy textures as the group vigilantly avoids intemperate tunefulness. “The Theme”, stand-offish at first while carrying earnest low frequencies, still pulls some lyricism, electing despondency as it drops any vestige of gladness. “Brewing” is also stern, but contains a sparkling rumble of pianism, well-developed cello lines that later morph into bow raspiness, and a focused rhythmic print.

“Among Us” is stealthy, indivisible and responsive at the same time, whereas the chilly “Undisturbed” is stationary but not devoid of tension. “Look Out”, for example, is ominous in tone and somewhat aggressive in posture, but also risk-taking and well-designed. It emerges from solid-body cello continuum, prepared piano, and tinkling percussive dramatization.

Brown’s electronics mark the outset of “Aviary”, which ends in a fiery climax, and the first disc culminates with the 26-minute “Suite”, where temperate meanderings abide with jittery motions.

Each of the four tracks on the disc 2 follows a specific structure that allows the quartet to engage in crescendos with a sequence of solo, duo, trio, and quartet moments. Ingalls probes highs and lows by whistling and harrumphing, but that doesn’t make the second disc better than the first. With a solid core and knotted fringes, these sonic fabrics will please more those who search indefinitely than the ones who like to tap their feet to the beat.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Theme ► 05 - Look Out ► 07 - Brewing