The latest Aquaserge release is yet another unique addition to their intriguing canon of work. Expanding the band to a nine-piece here, they have drawn inspiration from four contemporary classical composers; but rather than retreading those steps, they have chosen to expand on the original ideas, tailoring them to suit their own sound in its inimitable glory and reflect something modern back to the mid-twentieth century.
The band can be really groovy when demanded and that with their piercing precision is always noticeable by its absence in the more thoughtful and diffident elements. You often feel that they are trying to cast a spell, the sleepy flute spiralling before your very eyes. The homage to Giacinto Scelsi is a whole other beast, trapped and torpid, slow and mournful. The need to move is there, but desire is lacking. The staccato blares are angry but impotent, and the burr of angry wasps merges well with the spin of my washing machine.
The variety on offer here is really quite impressive; the two short versions of Morton Feldman‘s “Only” are dreamy pastoral swoops, while the homage to him has a rolling post-rock momentum with added sparkles, from whichever players wish to participate. These sparkles are tucked neatly into the commanding rhythm until homely chaos ensues. The album ends on two antithetical homages to György Ligeti; the first drone-based piece changes the pace dramatically. Not quite static, there are tiny elements of disharmony that are just enough to provoke a reaction, and there is a sense of drama when the tones change. The slow scarcity makes way for a shuffling rhythm replete with clanging bells and discordant horns. A lovely bassline holds sway and delivers us to a rather special conclusion.Having listened to a few of Aquaserge’s previous releases, this fits in well with their questing ethos, tying together various strains of European music regardless of eras, but always with a modern flourish. Long may they continue.
-Mr Olivetti-
