Full Blast is the extraordinary unit made up of Peter
Brötzmann on reeds, Marino Pliakas on electric bass and Michael Wertmüller on drums.
Their fifth album finds the band with the desire to try something new, writing seven
compositions with the characteristically strong Full Blast feel and then giving
a few of them an electronic makeover by Wertmüller, thereby pushing the
band in a new and unforeseen direction. “Try Krala” opens the album with
Brotzmann’s bass clarinet navigating a thicket of electronics and bass as
primal sounding drums bubble up and the music develops a sense of urgency.
Tricky rhythms are developed which Brotzmann switches to tenor and then proceeds
to plow right through, developing a ripe solo in the process. The electronic
treatment adds elements of raw noise that can be disconcerting, but it still is
the trio itself at full throttle is still the most exciting element of them
all. There is something like a disconcerting chatter just beneath the core of
the music that comes through on the breaks as ominous beats and chirps that go
toe to toe with the members of the band making for some really unexpected
textures. There is a choppier and jazzier open to “Café Ingrid” with the full
band improvising collectively, playing very nice and lightly on their feet. The
electronics seem to be laying out for this section, so it’s just straight up
free jazz played at the highest quality. Thrashing drumming, scouring saxophone
and elastic bass keeping everything from flying apart, and this is just
fantastic music. “Garnison House” begins with drumming and some deep rumbling
bass, before deeply visceral saxophone joins the fray and the game is afoot.
The bass is particularly excellent, a subterranean growl beneath your feet
supplying deep currency while Brotzmann and Wertmuller wail relentlessly,
tapping into a seemingly limitless wellspring of musical ideas. It makes for
flat out thrilling collective improvisation, with blasting waves of drums that are
relentless in their furor. Opening with an audio clip of Timothy Leary’s
infamous advice to “turn on, tune in and drop out…” “TTL” has the electronics
back with a vengeance juxtaposed against Brotzmann’s blustery saxophone. This makes
the music develop into an organ like drone that swirls around the intentionally
primitive drumming. Slabs of sound zoom around ominously as everything is
remixed beyond recognition, using repetition to build tension and then bursting
through it. The band breaks out and howls with the remaining electronic
manipulation framing them. Wertmuller drives the music relentlessly most of the
time, even through the tumult of processed noise. Finally “Roguery” has digital
noises that have Brotzmann’s clarinet embedded within them like a fly trapped
in amber. Heavy percussion noises and drums pound, opposite the howling
clarinet, and it’s very human like screams over the industrial like clamor are quite
unnerving. Brotzmann breaks out soloing hard, the massive beast nipping at his
heels, as the track develops into a John Henry like battle of man versus
machine. This was a very good album, and credit definitely goes to the band for
not resting on their laurels by adding the electronics for this album. It is
definitely one of their best and fans of free jazz absolutely need to check it
out.
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