Our top records of 2010 Part 2

The Sealed Knot and we disappear [Another Timbre] cd

Detail. Lots and lots of detail. Not a particularly insightful appraisal, that. My apologies; I’ll have to do better than that. Detail. That was my first impression of this album and to be honest, I’m still grappling with my words now having spent most of the last year listening to it.
The musicians are of an extremely high calibre: Burkhard Beins, Rhodri Davies and Mark Wastell. I’m assuming the music is improvised. Taut, complex, reactive improvisation. And prepared. Really well prepared.

http://www.anothertimbre.com/


Tim Blechmann / Seijiro Murayama 347 [Non Visual Objects] cd

This is a recording of a performance Blechmann and Murayama gave in Paris. Percussionist Seijiro Murayama’s distinctive technique of sawing/sounding an object while modulating its sound and frequency in various ways is heavily in evidence here. Tim Blechmann, by contrast, seems to limit himself to room noise, hiss, hum, static, feedback; almost sonic dust motes one minute and grey watercolour wash the next.

http://www.nonvisualobjects.com/


Bolide the universal omphalus [self released] cd-r

My favourite free playing unit of the moment. I gather that they think of themselves as a jazz outfit but that’s okay with me even though this release is about as far away from that pigeonhole as you can possibly get.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bolide/285710746803


Simon Whetham & Paul Khimasia Morgan grey area [con-V] cd

Yes, cheeky to include this but it was such a great experience making this recording and attending/performing at Simon’s Active Crossover exhibition at The Grey Area Gallery at the time that I felt I just had to.

http://www.con-v.org/cnvr22.html