DUPLEIX by GLOCKENSPIEL
With allegiances that spread as far and wide as the ambient post-rock, UK free improv and Norwegian avant-noise scenes, the duo Glockenspiel are a perfect example of just how much these subgenres of contemporary creative music have in common. On Glockenspiel's new album Dupleix, guitarist Adrian Dollemore and drummer Steve d'Enton send these apparently diverse areas of experimental underground music into a fresh liaison, connecting them with the kind of energy and spirit associated with the outer limits of both compositional and improvised music. Both musicians have a background in the UK free improv scene, playing extensively with saxophonist Tony Bevan as well as Paul Rutherford and the young, internationally acclaimed contemporary jazz pianist Matthew Bourne. Released on the Babel Label, the second Glockenspiel recording is a spooky sweet slab of electric drone effects-jazz, Sonic Youth-like guitar and hypnotic post-rock and krautrock rhythm. Throughout the recording, the seeds of extemporization are sown within the shimmering textures of Dollemore and d'Enton's impressionistic compositions. Although it is at times a highly penetrating musical experience, Glockenspiel's music has also aptly been referred to as, “the sound equivalent of squinting your eyes whilst watching the sun disappear over the horizon.”
Dollemore initially set up Glockenspiel with Steve d'Enton (formerly of John Peel favorites Quickspace), releasing a limited edition of hand painted CDs via Krayon Recordings, described as a recording of, “mesmerising guitar/loop/feedback playing/processing with jaw dropping drums. d'Enton's direct but tactile style drives straight through the x-axis of Dollemore's skyward guitar, with cymbals and hi-hats splashing around his motorik anchor while tapes and electronic processing produce a beautiful whirling haze of noise ambience.” During this period, the duo also recorded material with the quintet Dukes of Pouch featuring free improv scenesters Tony Bevan, John Edwards and Ashley Wales, a band that married repetitive rhythms with a freely improvised feel. Having toured the UK with Krayon labelmates Sunshine Republic in 2005 and Jack Nicholson in 2006, Glockenspiel released the 24:48 EP, a series of live jams, capturing the breadth and dynamic displayed at their mesmerizing live events. Then in 2007 Glockenspiel released their debut album Enspiel. A combination of the aesthetic of Dollemore's earlier work and the sound they have honed as a duo, this collection of pieces displays a more electronic feel against expansive yet minimal compositions. Mats Gustafson described the debut as “hypnotic and entrancing and manages to be so with a 'less is more' aesthetic. Intensely meditative & ambient textures build swirling melodies that orbit your head until you finally give in to the sonic splendor. Rich emotional depths, adding so much contrast it's heartbreaking, highlighting the more insular drones. The whole album is very dream like & fascinating. Similar to being in the middle of a fog bank having totally lost your sense of direction.” The 'Assorted PCP' single released in 2009 is a good example of the range of Glockenspiel, mixng textured drones and sound collage with a brasher industrial approach. Recent live shows have included headlining the Institute of Contemporary Art, support for Stars of The Lid, gallery performances and a Live evening session for Resonance FM.
Credits
All music written by Adrian Dollemore and Steve d'Enton
