The Unsemble - The Unsemble
The Unsemble brings together three musicians steeped in radical experimentation in music. To give a flavour of some of the other bands they have been involved in - Alexander Hacke on bass and electronics is from Einsturzende Neubauten, the German industrial band famed for their use of custom built instruments using scrap metal and other materials; and then there is Tomahawk an experimental metal band, where Unsemble guitarist Duane Denison partnered up with Faith No More's Mike Patton. The Unsemble line up is completed by the amazing percussionist Brian Kotzur
The music is therefore going to be both challenging and intriguing. Not a bad thing in today's music world, where the corporate pressures on musicians will sadly be more in the opposite direction.
The tracks on this self-titled album are short contained pieces, which make up a very impressive musical landscape, that you won't tire of exploring. To pick out just a few contrasting highlights you might want to begin with, on your journey through this album.
The tracks Circles and Circles Revisited are a great place to start. Circles has a jaunty beat and catchy riff with lots of minor electronic phrases moving around it. Circles Revisited has the beat and riff deconstructed, which are now more insistent and less sweet, with some very pronounced electronic melodies swirling around the core of the piece. It reminds me of the concept of Pentimento, that I first came across in Lillian Hellman's writings:
"Old paint on canvas, as it ages, sometimes becomes transparent. When that happens it is possible, in some pictures, to see the original lines: a tree will show through a woman's dress.... That is called pentimento because the painter....changed his mind. Perhaps it would be as well to say that the old conception, replaced by a later choice, is a way of seeing and then seeing again."
With these two tracks we get exactly that, the original conception and then the opportunity to see the piece again through a new lens. Fabulous!
The mid album track Shadows is what Can (and please check out that amazing German experimental band, who predate the post-rock movement) might have sounded like if they had become a funk band. There can be no higher praise.... an astonishingly good piece.
Improv 4 is resonant of a classical chamber piece in its elegance. The percussion and cymbals provide the anchor for both jagged and melodic interventions, as the piece builds and immerses the listener. It is not at all predictable, which is its charm.
The whispering voices on Voices, creates a quite uneasy mood at first, until a lovely emotion filled melody starts to lead. Then the voices come forward again in the mix, only for a few seconds, but just enough for the unease to return.
A great album then, that I will be returning too on a regular basis to discover new musical treasures.