Label: False Wall Records, 2024
Personnel - UK Ensemble: Evan Parker: soprano saxophone; Matthew Wright: turntable, live sampling; Peter Evans: trumpet; Robert Jarvis: trombone
; Hannah Marshall: cello; Pat Thomas: live electronics; Alex Ward: clarinet // US Ensemble: Sylvie Courvoisier: piano, keyboards; Mat Maneri: viola; Ikue Mori: laptop live electronics; Sam Pluta: laptop live electronics; Ned Rothenberg: clarinet, bass clarinet, shakuhachi; Craig Taborn: piano, keyboards, live electronics.
Trance Map, the explorative British duo that falls under the joint command of saxophonist Evan Parker and sound designer Matthew Wright, has been pushing boundaries since its formation in 2018. Known for their innovative blend of acoustic improvisation and electronic manipulation, the duo has released albums featuring various guest musicians and performed across Europe and the U.S. in dynamic lineups. Transatlantic Trance Map is a special variation of the group—a collaboration between ensembles in Feversham, UK, and Brooklyn, USA, performing simultaneously in an uninterrupted 55-minute session. This 13-piece ensemble delivers co-composed music where unpredictability reigns, merging cerebral precision with whimsical spontaneity.
The album opens with the slap-tonguing staccatos and deep drones of Ned Rothenberg’s bass clarinet, flanked by Parker’s eloquent and boisterous soprano sax. The sonic palette is expanded significantly by the inclusion of electronic virtuosos Pat Thomas, Ikue Mori, Sam Pluta, and keyboardist Craig Taborn, resulting in a rich tapestry of digital frequencies, chirping sounds, metallic scrapes, and distant buzzes that permeate the performance.
True to their experimental ethos, the ensemble never veers far from its avant-garde foundations, even in its quieter, contemplative moments. Mat Maneri’s viola shifts seamlessly between abrasive, acidic textures and poignant lyricism, at times blending with cellist Hanna Marshall, who transitions from pizzicato plucks to resonant arco lines without disrupting the atmospheric continuity. Meanwhile, the horn players generate turbulent soundscapes, supported by imaginative contributions from piano—whether Taborn or Sylvie Courvoisier—and dynamic percussion.
There are loose, segmented movements where the spontaneous interplay occurs in a casual manner, but sometimes I felt that a more specific motion was needed. After Peter Evans’ insistent trumpet motifs and trills, that motion indeed occurs, with Rothenberg embarking on a circular-breathing tour de force on bass clarinet—punctuated by slap-tongued blurts—while surrounded by dreamy piano cluster chords, pulsating electronic drones, and mournful viola cries. This confluence builds into a bulky symphonic construction before settling into a tense, static conclusion.
Evan Parker’s saxophone prisms and Matthew Wright’s imaginative sound design, combined with the ensemble’s fearless improvisational spirit, deliver a challenging sonic journey.
