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"HiGH ▀ iNTELLiGeNCE tRoLLS"
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a r t i s t : Charles Wharf - Simon Fell
t i t l e : Frankenstein
d a t e : 1998
l a b e l : BF CD25
g e n r e : Jazz
r l s. d a t e : January/2005
t r a c k s : 08
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 84,6 MB
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CHARLES WHARF/SIMON H. FELL Frankenstein
Charles Wharf clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano sax, tenor sax,
keyboards
Simon H. Fell keyboards, double bass, bass guitar, electronics
1992-96 (51 mins.)
An electro-acoustic improvisation/composition/sampling
nightmare. Highly recommended.
BF 25 (CD) ú11.00 [add this item to your order]
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quotes:
"Completely bonkers. From the very appealing outside of this
release, one would take it for an ordinary duet album by two of
the London scene's more adventurous players - and how wrong one
would be. Only the track titles give away the fact that
something quite genuinely demented is going on within. The
disc's 32 tracks are formed by collaging together a variety of
solo and duet performances which form the basic material and
are rarely heard by themselves, producing instead often densely
layered virtual jam sessions. A helpful diagram is enclosed
which, to take a typical example, indicates that the first
track is the middle section of a duet improvisation, overlaid
with samples from the other sections played ad lib on
keyboards. This is itself then sampled and forms part of the
next piece, along with a performance of Bach's Partita No. 2
sampled from the third track. The album as a whole is
structured like an elaborate knot, recursively sampling itself
until it is impossible to tell "live" performances from
electronic manipulations. Because of its quick-change format,
there are plenty of stand-out moments here, although the one
which grabs you on first listen is probably Fell's iconoclastic
reading of a jazz standard, Here's that Rainy Day, on distorted
bass guitar, an instrument which he clearly knows his way
around. This is a format which suits Wharf too he creates
intelligent textural music as evidenced on the outstanding
second version of Crammed with Distressing Brain. This record
has a distinct whiff of Zorn about it, in the brevity of each
piece and in its use of so unconventional a compositional
approach. Like Zorn, Fell is one of the most interesting and
consistently successful composers working with improvisers
today, and doing the composition after the improvisation is
finished is a nice twist which works. He's also a formidable
bass player, and anything which he releases is always worth a
look. This one happens to be exceptionally good." Richard
Cochrane RESONANCE
"The composer-bassist duets with his favourite multi-reedist,
forcing their playing through a mind-boggling system of
samples, electronic retrogrades, time-lapse playbacks and
ambient mise-en-scΦne. Reworkings of Grachan Moncur III's
Frankenstein and Fell's own Crammed With Distressing Brain
render sonorities and transitions that surprise on each listen.
The hovering, speculative intelligence of the pacing recalls
1950s Darmstadt, but it's done with skronk guitar and improv
screeches. Frankenstein attains the extremes post-rock craves
but rarely has the note palette to deliver. Relief patches of
straight bass clarinet and double bass draw blood from the
fold-in mania. Gleefully improvising with the output of their
hardware, Wharf and Fell make a living, lurching monster out of
technologies designed to pin sound to the table. Electrify your
brain pan! A:1" Ben Watson HIFI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW
"Highly intriguing - of Fell's recent works this is recommended
highly. Fell makes cut-ups of Charles Wharf's saxophone playing
and mixes it with foreign elements, his own playing on
keyboards and bass guitar, and layers of sound effects. The CD
traces an eccentric and quirky movement through a suite of
ideas, handled with mastery and the kind of exquisite
miniaturist detail we're coming to expect from this man Fell."
Ed Pinsent THE SOUND PROJECTOR
A Cadence CD of the year (Critics' Poll) 1999
"Call it a Requiem for the Twentieth Century, or Music to
Decapitate By, this duo of Charles Wharf (clarinet, bass
clarinet, soprano and tenor saxophones, and keyboards) and
Simon H. Fell (keyboards, bass, bass guitar, and electronics)
should clear the cockroaches from your cupboards if it doesn't
first frighten away your roommates or spouse. Actually, what
distinguishes it is its remarkable ability to remain utterly
and originally musical while it disturbs. Wharf's piercing
clarinets mixed with warped electronics are perversely
appealing, and the group's takes on Here's That Rainy Day,
Grachan Moncur III's Frankenstein, and Bach's Sarabande
(Partita No. 2) are stunning, even if completely
deconstructive. Well planned, meticulously crafted, and
fascinating, this recording is filled with numerous delights.
Plus, if you've ever needed evidence that Simon Fell's brain is
on fire, this may do the trick." Steven A Loewy ALL MUSIC GUIDE
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01-All the Electrical Secrets of Heaven [07:23]
02-Here's That Rainy Day 1 [03:06]
03-Crammed With Distressing Brain 1 [11:58]
04-Here's That Rainy Day 2 [08:23]
05-Crammed With Distressing Brain 2 [02:01]
06-Scarcity of Convolutions [04:54]
07-The Brain You Stole [08:39]
08-Oh, His Experiments! [04:55]
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51:19 min
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