REVIEWS [g]

The Geordie Approach 'Why Eye' (CD - Bruce's Fingers 2007)

Unusual album - succinct free drumming, highly unconventional sax (processed to almost unnoticeable), wild electronics and sometimes almost spacey prog guitar indicating the broad scope and cross-channel culture clash for the most of this album which is one of its strengths. Highly experimental but rocky, noisy and out-there enough to be exhilerating as well as engaging. The line up of (Geordie) Chris Sharkey on guitar and electronics and the Norwegians Petter Frost Fadness (alto sax and electronics) and Stale Birkeland (drums and percussion) works really well. It has its introspective and mellow parts but that art-ness remains, especially on 'Keegan' (incidentally, these are 7 names from the classic Newcastle United football team line-up - you'd better ask Sharkey if the track styles go with the individual players!). Track 4 'Gascoine' certainly peaks a schizoid vein with some fantastically energetic, rolling, free drumming, super fast jazzy electric guitar but Fadness sits in the background making sounds like a dying whale (hang on, Gazza's well-publicised breakdown took place since this release...oh well, it's a brilliant piece anyway. 'Shearer' is my favourite with all three demonstrating some awesome rolls, licks, flicks whatever in a frenetic head to head which almost sounds speeded up it's so sharp and alive; an almost cocaine-overdose at 150mph (I'm trying to get the image of Shearer speeding towards the goal out of my head here, give us a chance). See 'em live in Sheffield!! 21.3.08

THE GEORDIE APPROACH are funded by: Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Music Information Centre Norway / Norsk Jazzforum / FFUK / Jazz Services

The Geordie Approach (listen)
Bruce's Fingers

George Steeltoe Ensemble 'Church of Yuh' (12" LP Heat Retention Records no.14)
Recorded November 2005, Emandee Studios, Brooklyn, New York.
Reviewed 1 Sep 07

This is the music of time out for Shiva the Destroyer at once beautiful and terrible. All premonitions of this being 'free-jazz' are blasted away at the opening barrage of electronic distortion and abstract radio vocals make love with screaming saxes and frantic fast flow drums. Horror, beauty and fragility clashing and procreating in the first few minutes awakening the mind. I've only been out of bed 20mins and I'm alert and tense. The following lengthy tumble-along of all the group which includes bass, flute, trumpet, piano, tin can, keys and tone generator provides a fine backdrop for some blank staring while I slurp some tea and try and remember what the heck this world has to offer. Subtle rock influences can be detected (if subliminally) as I find my head nodding which suprisingly does not detract from the overall flavour. The passion rises to a peak but mellows out for a while on side 2 before some superb playing (esp. reeds) bring this brilliant release to a rousing finale. Yep this album is a perfect marriage of lively acoustic exploration, free(?) jazz and brave analogue noise that you'd expect from a collective of seasoned NY musicians on this punchy label. Yours for only ten bucks.

Heat Retention

GATE 33 'Scribble Season' (3" CD - Hypnagogia ago02)
21 Feb 06

The thing I like best about this is its originality. Eve Kharag's approach to her brand of sonic art, like her performance, is sincere and playful. Free improvisation can't be defined, like art, and someone once said 'The function of art is to make that understood which in the form of argument would be incomprehensible'. No one's arguing with this work, which, like her painting of fused cultural flavours (which you can see on her website) is a joy to behold. My understanding is nothing deep, symbolic or serious; refreshing, like zen in a packet. For example 'Muck Luck' is precisely random dirty noises generated by someone clearly experimenting and having fun in the process. There's definitely depth of character behind this CD, which manifests in various ways like the variety of juxtaposed scraps cut and pasted within each piece and overall. I found myself enjoying bytes of 1930's easy jazz trombone (subtly jumping like a well knackered 78) which gives way to a nightmare scenario of noise in 'Carpe Dieme'. A steel band is completely screwed by distortion. Some brave voice samples going on here and there too, sometimes manipulated; set against backdrops of thought provoking music in 'The Astrophysicist' for example. A strange Indian voice in 'Almas No Existe' has me laughing.. Though I'm guessing Eve spends a lot of time at Termite events, (where I saw her live recently) subjected to a lot of wall of noise machismo, even her ear peelers are artfully composed and somehow sudden fits and starts and disembodied voices can be more disconcerting than noise for noise's sake. 'Feather Chamber (+DKD_Girl)' is a great example of this. I can imagine young tripsters having life changing, if not pants changing experiences to it. 'Put the Cherry Blossoms Out' could be actual playing of a (whats that Indian organ thingy called?) and completes this compacted 20-odd minutes with a gentle reverie into the aural art of a unique mind and spirit.

www.kharag.co.uk
www.hypnagogia.org.uk