REVIEW: JAMES COLEMAN:THEREMIN - ZUIHITSU

 

JAMES COLEMAN:THEREMIN - ZUIHITSU (Sedimental Recs., 2001):

Technical data:

Recorded and Engineered by Mike Caglianone at Studio 7ª West.

Mastered by Peter Warren at Moon Hill Studio.

Artwork by Sofia Göthlin.

Track list: 1- this Castle Keeps Me, 2- Burial of the Combs, 3- Katydid, 4- Muddy Kemaris, 5- Lady of the Combs, 6- Flying Water Shrine, 7- Each Spire an Animal, 8- Events at the Laurel Pond, 9- Zwittering Maschine, 10- Tsunekos Dream, 11 - The Singing Sword, 12- Sticks & Stone I, 13- Sticks & Stones II, 14- Kokin Mystery Birds, 15- Released to the Stars.

James Coleman has composed this pieces for free improvisation and improvisational chamber music whose main instrument is the theremin and also using percussion, trumpet, saxophone, cello and vocals. The fifteen tracks contained here are really explorations of sounds and atmospheres done by an interesting group of musicians. The interesting here to pay a lot of attention is the use of dynamics here, going from really strong sounds in "Lady of The Combs" for example to really subtle and almost inaudible textures like in "Burial of the Combs". Experimentation arrives at its climax on tracks like "Events at the Laurel Pond" with some percussion (again, strong and subtle at the same time) and Coleman doing some weird sounds with his instrument. For people that like musicians that break boundaries. Favorite tracks: " Lady of the Combs", "Zwittering Maschine" and "The Singing Sword". Contact: www.zuihitsu.net