Name: New History Warfare, Volume 1 [Digipak]
Brand: Aagoo Records
SKU: 1058661
Availability: OutOfStock

New History Warfare, Volume 1 [Digipak]

Rating

Album: New History Warfare, Volume 1 [Digipak]
#	Song Title		Time
1)	And It Fought to Escape	More Info...	0:08
2)	Stand, Walk	More Info...	0:01
3)	Groundsmell	More Info...	0:01
4)	Time Is Advancing With Fitful Irregularity	More Info...	0:07
5)	Drown the Rats and Giants	More Info...	0:01
6)	As a Bird Or Branch	More Info...	0:04
7)	Ohp	More Info...
8)	Quincy Had a Glandular Problem	More Info...	0:01
9)	Nobu Take	More Info...	0:05
10)	Tiger Tiger Crane	More Info...	0:03
11)	Letter to Hst	More Info...	0:03
12)	Our Heartbreak Perfect	More Info...	0:11

Performer Notes

Personnel: Colin Stetson (clarinet, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, bass saxophone).
Audio Mixer: Joel Hamilton .
Recording information: Studio G, Brooklyn, NY.
Photographer: Scott Irvine .
This needs to be said up front: Colin Stetson is an absolute master of the saxophone. He has formidable breath control and circular breathing technique, a great sense of dynamics, and extremely impressive control over multiphonics and timbral changes: he can basically do anything that can be done with a saxophone (and maybe some things that can't). Although there is just a touch of studio treatment on a couple tracks and sampled, spoken intros to a couple more, New History Warfare, Vol. 1 is essentially an album of solo saxophone performances with no overdubbing. But this is no platform for free blowing and empty showboating; these pieces are clearly through-composed. Whether the track is one minute long or eight, there is an easily discernible structure, clear logic, and a strong sense of forward momentum to each of these tunes. Stetson's ability to build separate musical lines on top of each other is nothing short of astonishing. It's something like Rahsaan Roland Kirk playing two different melodies against a drone, except Kirk did it on three horns and Stetson is doing it on one.
"And It Fought to Escape" is a perfect encapsulation of Stetson's style. It begins almost imperceptibly as a percussive pulse is established with the saxophone keys playing against a breathy background. He then adds bits of melody on top until he is having a conversation between different registers of the saxophone while somehow maintaining the pulse. The breath control and dynamics are amazing, as are the sounds he makes with his saxophone. Switching gears, "Groundswell" almost sounds like a flute/bass duet at times. On "Nobu Take," Stetson's clarinet sounds more like a keyboard, simultaneously evoking Eastern European folk music and electronica, while "Tiger Tiger Crane" begins with what sounds like beatboxing through the sax. But Stetson's musicality far outweighs any notion of gimmicks. The pieces are deeply focused and never overstay their welcome. Not only that, but the strong structures and internal logic of the pieces make them far more listenable than many so-called avant-garde recordings.
New History Warfare, Vol. 1 is a truly impressive, fully formed, and highly individual musical statement. It's amazing from a purely technical standpoint, but Stetson's compositions and ability to tell a musical story are what make this a great album. You haven't heard saxophone music quite like this. No one else could have written this music because no one plays quite like Colin Stetson. Truly impressive. Evan Parker fans, take note: this guy is someone to watch. ~ Sean Westergaard

Professional Reviews

Down Beat (p.78) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[T]aking the radical solo reed vocabulary of players like John Butcher, Mats Gustafsson and Evan Parker and applying it to material that is challenging and accessible."