quick-drop by Andrea Parkins, Laurent Bruttin & Dragos Tara

Recorded on 12 February 2006 at théâtre 2.21, Lausanne, Switzerland.

REVIEWS

Há algum tempo que esperava poder ouvir Andrea Parkins num contexto deste tipo, espécie de prolongamento natural da performance que vinha a pôr em prática a partir das experiências em trio com Ellery Eskelin e Jim Black desde meados dos anos 90. Deriva notória no trabalho com Nels Cline e Tom Rainey, e nas sucessivas estadias na Europa, onde tem vindo a desenvolver intenso trabalho com músicos da improvisação electroacústica, de que é exemplo o duo com Jessica Constable, entre muitos outros. Ao curso de uma série de incontáveis projectos adiciona o trabalho de composição, actuações a solo, escrita para pequenos ensembles e desenho sonoro de instalações multimédia. Compositora, artista sonora, performer e improvisadora, Parkins utiliza acordeão, processamento electrónico e laptop, piano e sintetizadores, maquinaria que a artista manuseia com inteligência e sensibilidade. Para esta sessão de 2006 – gravada ao vivo num teatro de Lausanne, Suiça, em trio com o suíço Laurent Bruttin (clarinete, clarinete baixo e clarinete contrabaixo) e com o do romeno-suíço Dragos Tara (contrabaixo), a que se acrescentam os vocalizos onomatopaicos de Wanda Obertova em dois momentos – Andrea Parkins optou pelas três primeiras categorias, servindo-se delas para reinventar a sua própria linguagem em progressões fluidas e lineares, fracturas e disrupções, complexas estruturas rítmicas, samplagem pertinente e ruído disperso em vagas de electricidade modulada. Pulverização electrónica articulada com o puro som acústico do clarinete de Laurent Bruttin e do contrabaixo de Dragos Tara, que acrescentam perigosidade à mistura. Quick-Drop (Creative Sources Recordings #104) oferece uma impressionante colecção de 11 temas de improvisação electroacústica moderna, carregada subtilezas misteriosas que se vão revelando a pouco e pouco, ao longo de audições repetidas. A qualidade da gravação é excepcional para este tipo de preparação, tendo a montagem convenientemente optado por eliminar as incómodas palminhas entre temas, o que faz parecer um disco de estúdio em ambiente live. Eduardo Chagas (Jazz e Arredores)

(...) Na koniec jeszcze tylko kilka zdan o plycie "Quick-Drop"(CS 104) tria Andrea Parkins, Laurent Bruttin, Dragos Tara, które w dwóch utworach wspomogla wokalistka Wanda Obertova. Zarejestrowane przed dwoma laty na zywo w Lozannie utwory mozna wrzucic do worka z (dlugim) napisem "elektroakustyczna improwizowana postRIOwska kameralistyka", jednak takie okreslenie muzyki, choc nawet bylo bliskie stanowi faktycznemu, nie odda w pelni zlozonosci form i subtelnosci faktur poszczególnych miniatur oraz instrumentalnego kunsztu i improwizatorskiego zmyslu zelektryfikowanej akordeonistki, klarnecisty oraz kontrabasisty. Do tego, ze tej plyty naprawde warto posluchac, nie musze chyba przekonywac tych, którzy znaja Andree Parkins chociazby z tria Ellery'ego Eskelina. Jej nowe wcielenie na pewno jest nie mniej interesujace, a mlodzi szwajcarscy muzycy dowodza, ze trzeba na nich zwrócic uwage. (...) Tadeusz Kosiek (Diapazon)

From the opening moments of this trio meeting, the intent is clear: a quick fade into a noise thicket of sound indicates strongly that this is not going to be a walk in the park. Even before the disc spins, in fact, the feeling is there. The title, quick-drop, suggests risk, free-fall, a one-time adventure in unknown territory. The cover image, as attractive as it is incomprehensible, turns out to be an assemblage photograph taken by Andrea Parkins, seemingly constructed at a hotel. Transience. a bit of alienation, new rules for familiar tasks.
Parkins met up with clarinetist Laurent Bruttin and bassist Dragos Tara in Switzerland in 2006, and quick-drop is the result. With electric accordion, sampler, effects and live processing, she is the only non-acoustic performer here. The session starts with a dizzying track, but then some familiar signposts begin to appear. Clarinet and double bass slowly etch a triangle into the slate wall. Vocalist Wanda Obertova appears on the third cut (then disappears until the seventh of the eleven tracks), serving as a guide, if without familiar language. In the end, quick-drop comes off as a travelogue, a diary written by a stranger with an aversion to nouns. Fellow journeyers are advised to set their concerns aside and enjoy the surroundings. Kurt Gottschalk (The Squid's Ear)

The relationship between different phases of present-day improvisation is the most apparent trait of “Quick-drop”, an album that can sound both oppressive and appealing over the course of a minute. It’s hard to determine how much of these conversations was pre-conceived in terms of configuration and overall direction, yet my conjecture would have to be “very little”. Each of the three players faces a variety of accidents, the listener allowed to peep into their idiosyncrasies; and when the attempt is as cooperatively focused as in this case there’s no risk of being neither beleaguered nor exasperated. Parkins plays an electric accordion with effects and samples, the whole electronically modified; she’s able to raise noisy nightmares in a matter of seconds, then calm down the mood via tainted realities jam-packed with deconstructed chords and anguishing wheezing. The erratic temperament of Parkins’ array of diminutive monsters is brilliantly complemented by Bruttin’s unswerving attitude, his clarinets (including bass and contrabass models) often suggesting the interplay’s real foundation by means of an expert management of space and the usage of effective alternative practices, not to mention raging spirals of breathless anxiety. Tara has his crucial say too, his double bass often marching into the range of cello besides being in charge of the lower regions of the frequency spectrum, resounding plucks and scraped growls added every once in a while to hark back to the essential nature of the instrument, the soloist sections leaving no doubt about the fact that the big beast is still to be tamed. In two of the tracks, guest vocalist Wanda Obertova adds her own touch of class through neat, if not exactly novel fusillades of tiny garbled syllables and broken soprano sighs. Unclassifiable material indeed: no silences to get lost in, (almost) no angry deflagrations to find shelter from. Efficient, mature music which made me want to return to it soon enough to illuminate the few unclear spots, which resulted far from irrational after an additional couple of visits. Masimo Ricci (Totching Extremes)

Après avoir débuté vers 2000 comme le parangon de l’improvisation radicale conceptualo – rédux – soft noise – minimaliste – lower case – new silence, le label portugais Creative Sources s’est ouvert à quasi toutes les tendances de l’impro contemporaine, field recordings, électronique. Il résulte que son catalogue a enflé de manière surprenante jusqu’à atteindre une taille comparable à celle de FMP ou d’Emanem. J’informe le lecteur que les artistes qui publient un compact chez Creative Sources le font à compte d’auteur à des conditions intéressantes. L’importance du label et son internationalisation croissante apporte une meilleure visibilité que pour une autoproduction isolée. Toutefois, vu le nombre de cédés produits chez Creative Sources et dans la scène improvisée en général, un enregistrement, si bon et si original soit-il, risque d’être noyé dans la masse. Sans doute, la participation d’Andrea Parkins retient l’attention. Le clarinettiste Laurent Bruttin et le bassiste Dragos Tara forme un duo acoustique autour ou à côté duquel interviennent Andrea Parkins et son accordéon (plus précisément electric accordion/FX, samples, live electronic processing). Enregistré en 2006 dans un théâtre de Lausanne, quick – drop est une œuvre hybride et composite jouée par deux excellents musiciens qui savent effleurer le silence avec goût ou déchiqueter les sons en douceur et une artiste électronique tout-à-tour ambient ou légèrement transgressive. Une chanteuse intervient dans deux plages. Un concert intéressant pour son ambiance feutrée. Le contenu des plages de l’album n’est pas détaillé, augmentant le potentiel de surprise. Jean-Michel van Schouwburg (Improjazz)

Creative Sources releases a plethora of improv/jazz and experimental electronic music.
Founded in 2000.

creativesourcesrec.com