In cerca di nuove suggestioni, ci imbattiamo in questo lavoro targato reFLEXible, trio belga formato da Joachim Devillé (tromba), Thomas Olbrechts (sax alto) e Stefan Prins (elettronica), e siamo anche ben disposti visto lo sponsor, ovvero l'etichetta emergente Amirani, che già ci ha regalato prove di grande qualità e si propone tra le più interessanti del panorama italiano. “Realgar” è il titolo del cd, che contiene appena quattro tracce: Vacuum, Exposed, Orpiment e Realgar. Si tratta di lunghe improvvisazione in chiave elettroacustica, intuibile la formula: il suono dei fiati viene rielaborato in tempo reale, il tutto condito da rifiniture elettroniche. Facile immaginare che la musica del trio sia perfetta come commento sonoro di performance, e infatti è questa la sua cornice ideale, specialmente in relazione a installazioni video e danza. Davvero ostico, invece, l'ascolto del cd scevro da siffatto accompagnamento visivo: un'opera dalla fruizione non certo facile e che richiede, inevitabilmente, grande at tenzione, per una musica fatta più di silenzi che di momenti suonati, dove tutto scorre come un sussurro, a tratti quasi impercettibile.
Realgar
The Antwerp & Brussels-based Collectief reFLEXible -Joachim Devillé (trumpet, flugelhorn), Thomas Olbrechts (alto saxophone), Stefan Prins (piano, objects and live-electronics) - focuses on free improvised music (or instant composed music) often combined with other media as dance, performance, video and film. The different backgrounds of the members gives the collectief its unique sound and character.
Recorded at Q-02 workspace in Brussels, Realgar is an improvised stunning performance.
Music is thrilling, exciting, more descriptive than abstract, very close to a inner matter, phisycal and molecular, fluid and dense at the same time.
Elements elaboration, rarefactions and densities, then sublimation.
A sort of alchemical process, finely evolving to an intimate soundscape.
Produced by John Rottiers.
Reviews
La foto di copertina, che illustra una realtà urbana moderna ormai molto comune, cioè un isolato che ospita tanti appartamenti, ci porta direttamente alla musica dei musicisti belgi, sicuramente non comune, ma moderna in tutti i casi.
Sono in tre: Joachim Devillé alla tromba ed al flicorno, Thomas Olbrechts al sax alto e Stefan Prins alle elettroniche, completamente coinvolti in un mondo dalle dimensioni diverse dal solito. Non c´è la sezione ritmica: al suo posto dei rumori sintetici, dei borbottii o anche dei gridi aggressivi che lasciano intravedere le possibilitá delle macchine quando a guidarle c`è la persona giusta. Dall´altro lato i due musicisti, che tirano fuori dagli strumenti tutti i possibili suoni, a volte riconoscibili come note, lirici ed appassionati, a volte invece piú astratti, con delle atmosfere inquietanti, che smuovono l´interesse di chi ascolta. La logica dietro le improvvisazioni è stringente, le esperienze passate simili, come ad esempio quelle del trombonista George Lewis, superate in modo brillante, grazie alle possibilità offerte dai computer odierni ed anche al modo in cui Devillé e Olbrechts interagiscono con loro.
Una bella scoperta del produttore Gianni Mimmo, che testimonia il possibile fascino dell´incontro fra suono acustico ed elettronico.
First non-Italian band on Amirani and from what I’ve heard it’s part of natural process of internationalization/expansion of their catalogue, I don’t think it’s up to an intentional choice, it probably just happened naturally plus from what I’ve seen Gianni Mimmo (label owner and musician) has been playing quite often up there in Belgium (reFLEXIble home country) so if I it has to be consider it a logical step. “Times are changing” and it’s interesting how beside this new release, the global atmosphere of the label has gone darker and more abstract lately, if you had any suspicion about the fact the jazz background of many musicians of the roster could restrict the range of the label, you’ll probably change your mind about it. This trio combines an alto saxophone, a trumpet/fluegelhorn and a guy on live electronics, they sail a quite calm but misty “contemporary sea”. I think they combine acoustic sound and electronics in an intelligent manner flirting with electro-acoustic music, but I’m glad this recording doesn’t present the same interchangeable variety of sounds where you hardly distinguish a guitar a piano and the nature of every sound, infact even when “lost in sound” reFLEXible develop every sentence for the sake of what ends resulting a coherent dialogue, that’s why besides playing those oddly strangulated notes they follow some logical progression or they look for stops leaving epiclesis back home. “Realgar” belongs to the category of recordings where silence has a central function, let’s say a real role as the forth band member, silence is not just the fourth element with which the other members have to confront but weights on the whole recordings giving it its character it has. Also natural live reverb of the location in which it all had been played/recorded paints the music with a strong color and considering reFLEXible is a really measured trio, it may give a big hints of the sound of the whole work. When saying they’re measured I meant this trio belongs to that category of bands that have no rush to push every sound straight in your face and while going for sobriety you won’t have any doubt that every firm or soft sound they play is well pondered. Last and most important: if you’re looking for any traditional form of melody you’ll be disappointed since in these four long tracks they didn’t surrender to any form of traditional music…mittle european abstraction to the bone.
Joachim Devillé _ trumpet & fluegelhorn
Thomas Olbrechts _ alto saxophone
Stefan Prins _ live electronics
Music _ ReFLEXible
Recording _ Q-O2 workspace, Brussels, Belgium, september 2007
sound engineer _ Ludo Engels
mastering _ Stefan Prins
executive producer _ John Rottiers
photos _ Thomas Olbrechts, 2001
graphics _ Mirko Spino
production _ Gianni Mimmo for Amirani Records