The Squid's Ear
Recently @ Squidco:

Pierre Favre / Sergio Armaroli / Andrea Centazzo / Francesca Gemmo:
The Art Of Sound(s) (first visit) (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

A contemplative meeting of Pierre Favre, Sergio Armaroli, Andrea Centazzo, and Francesca Gemmo, exploring percussion, vibraphone, and piano in spacious improvised forms that privilege resonance over rhythm, weaving subtle dynamics and reflective timbres into an existential soundscape where silence, decay, and shimmering overtones converge in quietly radical dialogue. ... Click to View


Ben Stapp:
Uzmic Ro'Samg (Live Solo Tuba) (577 Records)

A visionary solo exploration from tubist Ben Stapp, merging extreme extended techniques, circular breathing, and multiphonics with a science fiction narrative of consciousness and transformation, unfolding ten pieces that traverse volatile timbres, subterranean drones, and vocal-inflected abstractions in a deeply personal act of world-building beyond mere instrumental prowess. ... Click to View


Jasper Stadhouders / Jaap Blonk:
JaJaa! - Improvisers (Kontrans)

A fierce live collision of Jaap Blonk's phonetic vocal and electronic inventions and Jasper Stadhouders' raw guitar improvisation, forging a surreal language of sputtered syllables, scraped strings, and disruptive humor, where meaning dissolves into texture and every gesture feels simultaneously unhinged and meticulously alive. ... Click to View


Daniel Levin :
Solo (ears&eyes Records)

A profound statement of non-idiomatic improvisation from cellist Daniel Levin, exploring the full tactile and sonic range of his instrument through shifting timbres, raw textures, and lyrical abstraction, forging spontaneous form in real time as intuition replaces memory and each gesture navigates vulnerability, intensity, and the transformative pursuit of musical freedom. ... Click to View


Laurent Estoppey / Daniel Levin:
Sumac (ears&eyes Records)

An intimate and exploratory duo encounter between saxophonist Laurent Estoppey and cellist Daniel Levin, born from the Sanctuary Series in Durham, where mutual trust fuels a fearless dive into the unknown, weaving shifting timbres, extended techniques, and raw dialogue into a deeply personal improvisational terrain defined by risk, resonance, and discovery. ... Click to View


The Gate :
Amost Live [CASSETTE + MAGAZINE] (Imploding Sounds)

A cryptic live document from The Gate's expanded lineup — Dan Peck, Tom Blancarte, Brian Osborne and guests — casting subharmonic dread, electroacoustic rupture, and dirge-like trance into two versions of the same ritual, where Almost Live blurs performance and fabrication and the Marston Mix sinks the remains into deeper, uncharted gloom, accompanied by a fractured visual zine of equal disquiet. ... Click to View


Laura Singh Ann Quintet (w / Clark / Hopkins / Lilley / Miller):
Mean Reds [VINYL] (Out Of Your Head Records)

Blending incisive lyricism with modern chamber-jazz intensity, vocalist Laura Ann Singh leads a quintet with Scott Clark, Adam Hopkins, John Lilley, and Bob Miller through richly composed pieces that move from fragile introspection to assertive rhythmic drive, intertwining trumpet and saxophone lines with atmospheric bass and percussion in a deeply emotive, genre-fluid statement. ... Click to View


Halls Of the Machine:
All Tribal Dignitaries [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD] (Copy This!)

A bold reinvention from Halls of the Machine, trading electronica atmospheres for a guitar-fueled rock ensemble where Mike Graff's riffs, Michael Jerome's driving percussion, and dual bass foundations collide with subtle string undercurrents, forging a dense, cinematic sound that balances raw physicality with lingering, haunted introspection. ... Click to View


Joe Morris / Peter Evans / Tyshawn Sorey:
Comprehensive (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Recorded at The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn in 2025, this first document of Peter Evans (trumpet), Joe Morris (bass), and Tyshawn Sorey (drums) captures four expansive improvisations where Evans's quicksilver trumpet, Sorey's architecturally detailed drumming, and Morris's tensile bass cohere into a lucid, high-energy trio language that balances raw edge with striking clarity. ... Click to View


John Edwards / Luis Vicente / Vasco Trilla:
Choreography of Fractures (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

The first documented meeting of bassist John Edwards, trumpeter Luís Vicente, and percussionist Vasco Trilla channels the duo rapport of Vicente/Trilla into a volatile trio language, where tensile bass arcs, quicksilver trumpet figures, and textured percussion intertwine from hush to rupture across four expansive studio improvisations captured in Portugal — forcefully fractured. ... Click to View


Ray Anderson / Joe Hertenstein Quartet feat. Michael Moore / Michael Formanek:
7th Dinner Live (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Drawn from three 2024 concerts in Berlin, St. Johann, and Cormons, drummer Joe Hertenstein's touring trio with Michael Moore (reeds) and Michael Formanek (bass) welcomes trombonist Ray Anderson, the quartet forging strong themes and free-form interplay where Anderson's ebullience, Moore's lyricism, Formanek's foundational lines, and Hertenstein's flexible drive spark constantly evolving momentum. ... Click to View


Ivo Pereleman / Ray Anderson:
12 Stages of Spiritual Alchemy (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman and trombonist Ray Anderson distill their proven chemistry heard in the quartet album Molten Gold (FSR 03|2023), here in twelve concise, alchemy-titled improvisations, Perelman's elastic lines and altissimo edge intertwining with Anderson's plunger color, slide glissandi, and buoyant phrasing to forge vividly conversational miniatures of texture, tension, and release. ... Click to View


Blumer / Dell / Geisser / Morgenthaler:
Beyond Scope (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

A seasoned quartet of trombonist Robert Morgenthaler, vibraphonist Christopher Dell, bassist Fridolin Blumer, and percussionist Heinz Geisser recorded in Zurich, exploring the essence of free improvisation through deep listening and spontaneous structure, where interplay and attentiveness replace convention, revealing the magic that happens in the space between the rules. ... Click to View


Francesca Gemmo / Magda Mayas:
Tides In The Mirror (first visit) (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

Recorded in Verona, Italy, pianists Francesca Gemmo and Magda Mayas engage in an intricate dialogue between piano and prepared piano, blending Gemmo's contemplative lyricism and impressionist echoes with Mayas's inventive explorations of touch, timbre, and texture, creating a vivid and unpredictable sonic landscape of tension, nuance, and resonance. ... Click to View


Christoph Gallio's Stone Is A Rose Is A Stone Is A Stone :
Yet Dish (first visit) (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

Inspired by Gertrude Stein's experimental poem Yet Dish, Swiss saxophonist Christoph Gallio leads an ensemble with vocalist Sonia Loenne, bassist Vito Cadonau, and percussionist Flo Hufschmid in a nuanced exploration of language and sound, transforming Stein's rhythmic abstractions into vivid musical dialogues where wit, structure, and spontaneity intertwine with poetic precision. ... Click to View


Cat Hope:
Speechless (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

Composed by Cat Hope and recorded live at the Tura and Perth Festival, this striking opera for four vocal soloists, bass orchestra, and community choir unites the visceral voices of Caitlin Cassidy, Judith Dodsworth, Sage Pbbbt, and Karina Utomo under conductor Aaron Wyatt in a profound, wordless protest against the inhumanity of refugee detention and a moving appeal to shared compassion. ... Click to View


The Necks:
Disquiet [3 CDs] (Northern Spy)

Marking their 39th year together, pianist Chris Abrahams, drummer Tony Buck, and bassist Lloyd Swanton expand their immersive approach to improv across three discs of evolving intensity, recording in the studio in Australia, where four long-form pieces unfold with hypnotic patience, microscopic detail, and The Necks' hallmark balance of restraint, texture, and boundless improvisational discovery. ... Click to View


Flying Sutra with Ayumi Ishito:
Out Beyond Orbit (577 Records)

Reuniting after a decade, guitarist George Draguns and percussionist Robert Cozzolino revive their duo Flying Sutra at Metropolitan Sound in Brooklyn with saxophonist Ayumi Ishito, their telepathic interplay and raw intensity yielding four vividly improvised tracks that expand their textural range and transcend genre through fearless, high-energy experimentation. ... Click to View


Samuel Blaser:
18 Monologues Elastiques (Blaser Music)

A solo journey of striking imagination, Swiss trombonist Samuel Blaser channels the modernist spirit of Blaise Cendrars in eighteen original works recorded in Berlin, blending sculptural sound, melodic exploration, and poetic abstraction into a deeply personal meditation that bridges contemporary jazz, literature, and sonic art. ... Click to View


Blink (Dijkstra / McBride / Rosenthal / Hofbauer / Boyarin):
Blink (Driff Records)

Led by alto saxophonist Jorrit Dijkstra, BLINK embraces collective improvisation over solo display, blending microtonal tuning, layered rhythmic cycles, and ensemble interplay inspired by insect swarms, African High Life, and minimalist rock, resulting in an inventive, off-balance sound that thrives on tension, texture, and spontaneous cohesion. ... Click to View


Pandelis Karayorgis Trio (w/ Julia Werntz / Eric Moe):
Climbing To Sleep (Driff Records)

Reuniting pianist Pandelis Karayorgis with bassist Nate McBride and drummer Randy Peterson, and featuring composer-pianist Eric Moe, this microtonal project bridges jazz and contemporary composition through Werntz's Capricious Nocturnal Variations, as Karayorgis' trio expands its themes with richly textured interplay and fluid explorations of the uniquely tuned Werntz Nocturne Scale. ... Click to View


Morton Feldman :
Intermission 6 (Another Timbre)

Finnish composer Antti Tolvi's 72-minute realization of Morton Feldman's Intermission 6 transforms the brief 1953 piano score into an extended meditation on sound and silence, his patient, quietly unpredictable interpretation revealing the work's subtle randomness and serene depth, evoking Feldman's later explorations of duration and near-stillness. ... Click to View


Magnus Granberg / Skogen:
The Willow Bends And So Do I (Another Timbre)

Composed from four pools of material inspired by Johnny Mandel's A Time for Love, Magnus Granberg's 2024 work for his Swedish ensemble Skogen unfolds in ten slow cycles where delicate fragments, melodic shadings, and restrained improvisation interlace across strings, harp, guitar, percussion, and prepared piano, creating a quietly luminous meditation on fragility and motion. ... Click to View


Marc Sabat:
Bach Tunings (Another Timbre)

Reimagining Bach's Three Sonatas for Solo Violin through the lens of Just Intonation, composer Marc Sabat adds a second violin to create intricate harmonic dialogues performed with Sara Cubarsi and Xenia Gogu, where precise microtonal tuning and subtle psychoacoustic resonance reveal new shades of Bach's counterpoint, bridging baroque invention with contemporary exploration. ... Click to View


Julia Eckhardt:
Blanca (Another Timbre)

Developed during a residency in the Spanish town of Blanca, violist Julia Eckhardt's eight compositions trace daily walks through the arid hills as sound, image, and memory, each piece born from field recordings, photographs, and improvisations that echo the wind-swept landscape, transforming the act of walking and listening into meditative musical reflection. ... Click to View


James Opstad:
Drift (Another Timbre)

The debut composer album from Apartment House bassist James Opstad presents five chamber works performed by Apartment House, the GBSR Duo, and clarinettist Heather Roche, tracing his evolution from electroacoustic exploration to intricately layered instrumental writing, where overlapping tempi, gradual transformations, and subtle harmonic shifts create a sense of suspended motion and quiet intensity. ... Click to View


James Saunders:
With Paper (Editions Glomar)

Blurring the line between sound and action, English composer James Saunders' composition transforms 100 pages of performance instructions to tear, score, press, and write on paper, creating a tactile soundscape where performers Conor Bourgal, Lindsay Goss, Ryan Seward, and Andrew Weathers weave rustle, rhythm, and resonance into a fragile equilibrium between the mundane and collective sound art. ... Click to View


Reign of Ferns (Raffa / Weathers):
In The Same Room (Editions Glomar)

A transpacific collaboration merging long-distant sonic composition and improvisation between Taipei-based Ryan J Raffa and Texas composer Andrew Weathers, capturing the evolving project Reign of Ferns in an intimate, improvisational exchange of texture and tone, their music shaped by distance, friendship, and the quiet resonance of shared creative presence. ... Click to View


Roscoe Mitchell / Michele Rabbia:
In 2 (RogueArt)

The duo of Roscoe Mitchell on bass and sopranino saxophones with percussion, and Michele Rabbia on percussion and electronics, engage in a meticulous and expressive dialogue where the smallest breath or strike is amplified into vivid detail, redefining improvisation as an inclusive and responsive art of conversation that balances order, disorder, and creative transformation. ... Click to View


Matthew Shipp:
The Cosmic Piano (Cantaloupe)

In a fully improvised solo recording, pianist Matthew Shipp channels a lifetime of discipline and influence into an expansive and deeply personal work whose shifting architectures, sly dissonances, and luminous pacing unfold with the gravity of composed modern classical music while retaining the spontaneous intensity of free jazz, reframing his sound in a broader, genre-fluid context. ... Click to View



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reviews about releases
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Squidco

Recent Selections @ Squidco:


Francesca Gemmo/
Magda Mayas:
Tides In The Mirror (
first visit)
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



John Edwards/
Luis Vicente/
Vasco Trilla:
Choreography of Fractures
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Peter Evans/
Joe Morris/
Tyshawn Sorey:
Comprehensive
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Ray Anderson/
Joe Hertenstein Quartet
feat. Michael Moore/
Michael Formanek:
7th Dinner Live
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Marc Sabat:
Bach Tunings
(Another Timbre)



Magnus Granberg /
Skogen:
The Willow Bends
And So Do I
(Another Timbre)



The Necks:
Disquiet
[3 CDs]
(Northern Spy)



Jason Hwang Kao:
Myths of Origin
(True Sound Recordings)



Donny McCaslin:
Lullaby For The Lost
(Editions)



Ingebrigt Haker Flaten (
Exit) Knarr:
Drops
[VINYL]
(Sonic Transmissions Records)



Eva Novoa Trio (
w/ Daniel Carter/
Francisco Mela):
The Freedom Suite,
Vol. 2
(577 Records)



Fieldwork (
Iyer/
Lehman/
Sorey):
Thereupon
(Pi Recordings)



Dan Weiss (
w/ Evans/
Okazaki/
Brennan):
Unclassified Affections
(Pi Recordings)



Adam O'Farrill:
For These Streets
[VINYL 2 LPs]
(Out Of Your Head Records)



John Zorn (
JACK Quartet
w/Yura Lee/
Michael Nicolas):
Prolegomena
(Tzadik)



Beth Schenck Quintet (
w/ Mezzacappa/
Wright/
Glenn/
Wrobel):
Dahlia
(Queen Bee Records)



Webber/Morris Big Band:
Unseparate
(Out Of Your Head Records)



Tomas Fujiwara:
Dream Up
(Out Of Your Head Records)



Ned Rothenberg:
Looms & Legends
(Pyroclastic Records)



Earscratcher (
Harnik/
Rempis/
Lonberg-Holm/
Daisy):
Otoliths
(Aerophonic)







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