John Shand | Music & Other Spheres Posts

May 25, 2016 / Album Reviews - Archive

NEUROTICA (Cluster) 7/10 James Muller has a way of making a melody line dance, of making it twitch and contort. However fast the line the guitarist loads the phrasing with nuances of rhythm and also dynamics, so the notes jostle and collide as they come hurtling at you. Sometimes they…

May 23, 2016 / Album Reviews - Archive

AMORPHAE (ECM) 9.5/10 Paul Motian’s death stopped this album in its tracks. Guitarist Ben Monder had planned it to be duets with the master-drummer, to which end a session in late 2010 generated two astounding tracks. Motian died before they could return to the project, but thankfully Monder did not…

May 18, 2016 / Album Reviews - Archive

METTE HENRIETTE (ECM) 8/10 Norwegian saxophonist Mette Henriette may well be a fan of the Necks. The sort of minimalism she espouses on this double album certainly carries overlaps with their particular brand of minimalist sonic necromancy, although the differences are just as significant. Most obviously Henriette eschews long improvisations…