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Recently @ Squidco:

Tristan Honsinger & The House Of Wasps:
Noisy Sadness (Creative Sources)

A personal and evocative suite written during the isolation of the COVID-19 period, bringing together the legendary Tristan Honsinger (cello, vocal, narration) with his long-standing Tokyo-based ensemble, The House of Wasps — Yuriko Mukojima (violin, voice), Takashi Seo (double bass), and Shuichi Chino (piano) — in a performance that seamlessly blends chamber improvisation, storytelling, and emotional intensity. ... Click to View


Chris Jonas / David Forlano / Gregg Koyle:
Trio (Creative Sources)

A focused and sonically adventurous trio recording from Santa Fe, New Mexico, bringing together saxophonist Chris Jonas, live-sampling artist and electronic musician David Forlano, and percussionist Gregg Koyle in a contemporary yet organic exploration of space, form, and texture through sharp saxophone lines, intricate sampling manipulations, and dynamic metallic percussion. ... Click to View


Fred Loisel / Philippe Lenglet / Christian Vasseur:
Priced And Cheap (Two Graphic Scores) (Creative Sources)

Interpreting Cornelius Cardew's elaborate 193-page Treatise and Earle Brown's minimalist Cheap Imitation, Fred Loisel (gong, electronics), Philippe Lenglet (prepared guitar), and Christian Vasseur (prepared ten-string Weissenborn) assign specific musical parameters to each graphic symbol, creating open compositions that balance individual expression with collective coherence. ... Click to View


Ernesto Rodrigues / Helena Espvall / Tracy Lisk :
Illuminations (Creative Sources)

A fluid and energetic improvisation recorded live at COSMOS in Lisbon, as Ernesto Rodrigues (viola, crackle box), Helena Espvall (cello), and Tracy Lisk (drums) engage in a texturally rich performance of scattered, bouncing string interplay, with percussion subtly framing the dialogue, resulting in a dynamic and layered exploration of sound. ... Click to View


Heule / LeguĂ­a / Rivero / Escalante:
An Inscrutable Bodily Discomforting Thing (Kettle Hole Records)

A ferocious collision of free improvisation and noise, this blistering live session unites Jacob Felix Heule (drums), Teté Leguía (bass), Danishta Rivero (voice, electronics), and Martín Escalante (saxophone) in a 40-minute maelstrom of distortion, guttural textures, and fractured intensity, balancing moments of collective abstraction with sheer sonic intensity. ... Click to View


Howard Stelzer:
The Flemish Giants (Suburban Observances Vol. 5) (Love Earth Music)

A large-scale and meticulously deconstructed sonic exploration from Howard Stelzer, weaving layers of manipulated cassette tapes, tape players, and speakers with extensive processing from sonic luminaries Ralf Wehowsky, Brendan Murray, Linda Aubry Bullock, Bruno Duplant, Fani Konstantidou, and Andrew Zukerman — for a dense and unpredictable landscape where textures dissolve and reform in shifting abstractions. ... Click to View


Turbulence:
Cyclonic and Anticyclonic Streams (Evil Clown)

A sprawling improvisational storm from Evil Clown's Turbulence ensemble blending an expansive arsenal of woodwinds, brass, percussion, electronics, and custom instruments in a dynamic, shape-shifting performance where dense waves of sonority, shifting textures, and extended techniques collide, creating a jazz-inflected yet genre-defying exploration of sound from the Boston's ever-evolving collective. ... Click to View


Jordan Glenn:
Flustered [CASSETTE] (Full Spectrum)

A rare solo outing from percussionist Jordan Glenn, weaving an adventurous and dynamic series of improvised drum and percussion explorations, shifting between deep grooves, cymbal rushes, and near-musique concrète textures, with playful yet tenacious pacing that balances free-jazz intensity, experimental soundscaping, and custom-instrument innovation in a cohesive and captivating sonic journey. ... Click to View


Metal Chaos Ensemble:
A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream (Evil Clown)

A relentless and electrifying improv performance from the sextet Metal Chaos Ensemble blending the raw energy of electric bass and drums with an expansive arsenal of metallic percussion, electronics, and winds as the group takes listeners on a dynamic and unpredictable sonic journey, pushing the boundaries of structured free improvisation with "chaotic" precision. ... Click to View


Dennis Egberth:
The Dennis Egberth Dynasty (577 Records)

Blending the cosmic textures of electronic experimentation with the raw energy of free improv, drummer and composer Dennis Egberth leads a handpicked sextet through hypnotic soundscapes of modal grooves, ambient flourishes, and dynamic interplay, channeling the spirit of late-'60s and '70s jazz while forging a forward-thinking approach to contemporary creative music. ... Click to View


Dennis Egberth:
The Dennis Egberth Dynasty [VINYL] (577 Records)

Blending the cosmic textures of electronic experimentation with the raw energy of free improv, drummer and composer Dennis Egberth leads a handpicked sextet through hypnotic soundscapes of modal grooves, ambient flourishes, and dynamic interplay, channeling the spirit of late-'60s and '70s jazz while forging a forward-thinking approach to contemporary creative music. ... Click to View


Udo Schindler / Werner Dafeldecker / Gunnar Geisse:
Travelling Sound Images - Cognitive Transfers [Trio] (Creative Sources)

In this live recording from Munich's Schnitzer& Studio, Udo Schindler's "Low Tone Studies" series expands through a collaboration with Werner Dafeldecker on double bass and Gunnar Geisse on laptop guitar, blending deep-register improvisations across double bass clarinet, cornet, saxophones, and electronic manipulations, exploring the convergence of acoustic resonance and digital textures. ... Click to View


Udo Schindler / Rieko Okuda / Eric Zwang Eriksson:
Disturbed Terrains [2 CDs] (Creative Sources)

Recorded over two days — first in the studio, then live at Freies Musikzentrum in Munich — Udo Schindler on clarinets, saxophones, & cornet joins pianist Rieko Okuda and drummer Eric Zwang Eriksson in a dynamic exploration of texture and interplay, beginning with clarinet-piano duos before expanding into a full-throttle trio improvisation, for an intricate and energetic free jazz performance. ... Click to View


Isotope Ensemble:
Caesium (Creative Sources)

Recorded live at CreativeFest #18 in Lisbon, the Isotope Ensemble channels the volatile and fluid nature of caesium through spontaneous improvisation, blending strings, brass, woodwinds, piano, electric guitars, modular synthesizer, electronics, and objects into a dynamic sonic reaction that reflects the element's unique liquid properties that make the isotope pivotal role in atomic timekeeping. ... Click to View


Riccardo Luppi / Simone Massaron / Daniel Studer:
One (Creative Sources)

Recording in the studio in Milan, the trio of Riccardo Luppi on tenor & soprano saxophones and flutes, Simone Massaron on guitar & electronics, and Daniel Studer on double bass engage in a textural and exploratory dialogue, blending extended techniques, electronic manipulations, and spontaneous interplay across seven distinct ""Takes", each offering a unique approach to collective free improvisation. ... Click to View


Modelbau:
1x33.3 (Love Earth Music)

Recorded in March 2024 using an 8-track borrowed from Peter Duimelinks, Frans de Waard's Modelbau project presents a dark drone piece that envelops listeners in rich, immersive textures, exemplifying his adept manipulation of lo-fi equipment to create profound ambient soundscapes. ... Click to View


Lindorff-Ellery, Evan:
Church Recordings from Monhegan [CASSETTE] (Full Spectrum)

Recorded at Monhegan Community Church on a remote Maine island, this environmental work by Evan Lindorff-Ellery captures the interplay between improvised percussive textures and the resonant acoustics of the space, using frame drum, piano, acoustic guitar, bells, and found objects to leverage the church's natural reverb, while ambient sounds filter through its windows. ... Click to View


Un Drame Musical Instantane:
Machiavel (GRRR)

Blending acoustic and electronic elements with an expansive lineup of musicians, the final album from Un Drame Musical Instantané, recorded across multiple French studios, brings together Jean-Jacques Birgé, Bernard Vitet, Steve Arguelles, Benoît Delbecq, Yves Robert, DJ Nem, and guest vocalists like Archie Shepp and Otomo Yoshihide in a genre-defying mix of jazz, contemporary, improvised, and experimental approaches. ... Click to View


Helene Sage:
Echappee Belle (GRRR)

Consisting of 28 short works, Hélène Sage collaborates with composer and performer Benoît Lavoisier, computer artist Marc Demereau, percussionist Pascal Portejoie, sampler Alex Piques, and vocalist and writer Nathalie Desmarest to craft an avant album blending Dadaist humor with experimental soundscapes, intertwining musical and literary elements to create a distinctive auditory experience. ... Click to View


Cecil Taylor :
Air Above Mountains (ENJA RECORDS)

Recorded live at Moosham Castle in Austria in 1976, Cecil Taylor's solo piano performance is an unyielding exploration of percussive intensity and harmonic abstraction, unfolding in torrents of kinetic energy, intricate melodic leaps, and structural invention, demanding deep engagement as he fuses free jazz and contemporary classical influences into a towering and uncompromising artistic statement. ... Click to View


Don Cherry / Krzysztof Penderecki:
Actions (Intuition)

Recorded live at the Donaueschingen Music Festival in 1971, this extraordinary collaboration between Don Cherry, Krzysztof Penderecki, and The New Eternal Rhythm Orchestra merges free jazz with avant-garde composition, blending fiery improvisation, unconventional orchestrations and global influences into a powerful experience that challenges traditional genre boundaries. ... Click to View


Carlos Zingaro / Carlos Bechegas / Ernesto Rodrigues :
Spleen (Creative Sources)

A fascinating live performance from Lisbon's Reverso Festival in 2024, where luminaries Carlos Zíngaro (violin), Ernesto Rodrigues (viola, crackle box), and Carlos Bechegas (flute, piccolo) intertwine their distinct approaches into an intricate tapestry that blends classical sensibilities with free improv exploration in a compelling journey through texture and timbre. ... Click to View


Robin Verheyen / Billy Hart / Drew Gress:
Liftoff (Inner Voice Jazz)

A deeply expressive trio session recorded in New Jersey in 2024, where Robin Verheyen's fluid and lyrical saxophone lines intertwine with Drew Gress' subtle yet solid bass work and Billy Hart's masterfully restrained drumming, shaping an intimate and spacious album of striking original compositions along with a rendition a Harold Arlen/Yip Harburg piece and one from Marc Copland. ... Click to View


Rick Reger:
Textures & Tonalities for Analogue Synthesizers & Percussion (Aural Terrains)

Blending vintage analogue synthesizers with resonant percussion, Chicago-based Rick Reger (The Margots) constructs an immersive electroacoustic soundscape that balances harmonic depth and atmospheric tension, sculpting evolving tonalities through Moog, Mellotron, Arp & VCS3 alongside gongs and singing bowls in a meditative and richly textured sonic exploration. ... Click to View


Teodora Stepancic :
A O | F G (Another Timbre)

Collaborating with the ensemble Ordinary Affects, Serbian-born composer and pianist Stepančić records two introspective and spacious works that explore sonic stillness, harmonic resonance, and gradual transformation, blending Wandelweiser aesthetics with personal influences from Orthodox choral traditions, New York experimentalism, and theatrical composition. ... Click to View


Nicolas Gombert / James Weeks:
G O M B E R T (Another Timbre)

Reinterpreting the intricate polyphony of Renaissance composer Nicolas Gombert through the lens of contemporary music, composer James Weeks and the ensemble Apartment House replace choral voices with a varied instrumental ensemble to reveal the interwoven textures of these works, interspersed with new compositions that reflect on history, interpretation, and the evolving role of early music in a modern context. ... Click to View


Peter Woods J.:
Sucking Stones (Love Earth Music)

Exploring the intersection of harsh noise, spoken word, and conceptual composition, Peter J. Woods constructs a sonic meditation on Samuel Beckett's Molloy, weaving fragmented text, tense ambience, and intense sonic ruptures into a dynamic and gripping experience, where shifting textures and calculated silences evoke both philosophical depth and visceral tension. ... Click to View


Leap of Faith:
Accelerated Expansion Closing (Evil Clown)

Expanding their sonic universe with an arsenal of unconventional instruments, the core duo of PEK and Glynis Lomon, joined by trumpeter John Fugarino and percussionist Michael Knoblach, craft an immersive free improvisation rich in textural transformations, balancing restraint and intensity as they navigate shifting sonorities, extended techniques, and the expansive possibilities of their distinctive Evil Clown aesthetic. ... Click to View


Wolf Eyes / Anthony Braxton:
Live At Pioneer Works, 26 October 2023 (ESP)

A monumental meeting between legendary saxophonist and composer Anthony Braxton and noise pioneers Wolf Eyes (Nate Young & Johnny Olson), recorded live at Pioneer Works in Red Hook, NY, merging Braxton's expansive approach with the duo's visceral electronics, hypnotic textures, and raw energy in a collision of free improvisation, structured chaos, and uncompromising sonic exploration. ... Click to View


Wolf Eyes / Anthony Braxton:
Live At Pioneer Works, 26 October 2023 [VINYL] (ESP)

A monumental meeting between legendary saxophonist and composer Anthony Braxton and noise pioneers Wolf Eyes (Nate Young & Johnny Olson), recorded live at Pioneer Works in Red Hook, NY, merging Braxton's expansive approach with the duo's visceral electronics, hypnotic textures, and raw energy in a collision of free improvisation, structured chaos, and uncompromising sonic exploration. ... Click to View



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  Don Ellis 
  How Time Passes To Essence, Revisited  
  (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd) 


  
   review by Ken Waxman
  2025-03-17
Don Ellis: How Time Passes To Essence, Revisited (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

Before he became famous for his big band time signature experiments and film score composing Don Ellis (1934-1978) was a questing avant-gardist and these tracks from the early 1960s chronicle his evolution from free-bopper to free-jazzer. On the initial five tracks backed by a classic hard bop rhythm section of pianist Jaki Byard, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Charlie Persip, Ellis establishes his superlative trumpet skills while the bassist walks, the drummer rolls and the pianist comps. Byard’s ragtime feints and raucous solos when he switches to alto saxophone (!) hint at sound evolution. Expressed first on “Waste” whose three tempos zigzag among rounded open horn trills, sly quotes and staccato snarls from Ellis without upsetting the theme, the stretch towards freedom is most notable on the nearly 22˝ minute “Improvisational Suite 1”. Retaining conventions that include head recapitulation and swing, Ellis splinters the narrative with muted slurs, ascending triplets and plunger whines encouraged by arco bass buzzes, tympani-like wobbles and Byrd’s somehow simultaneous reed mewls and piano pedal point.

Two years later the remaining five tracks situate Ellis within free music accompanied by pianist Paul Bley, bassist Gary Peacock and drummers Gene Stone or Nick Martinis. The pianist maintaining a bouncy groove, although exerted basement pressure and internal string stretches aid in the transformation, as do the bassist’s vaulting thumps and the drummers’ hard ruffs. Bending protracted plunger tones or single note pointillism to his needs, Ellis’ contrapuntal responses to Bley’s advances enrich the tracks. Most notable are the exposition build up on “Ostinato” and working through the repeats and stops on “Donkey”. On the former, Ellis counters Bley’s downward pressure with vibrated ascending triplets. On the latter, it’s Peacock’s col legno smacks, double-time keyboard work and intermittent brass peeps that threaten to disrupt the stop-time theme, that is finally returned to a swing pulse by combining drum ruffs and brass wallows.

Had he lived longer Ellis may have become another movie journeyman or he may have continued sound exploring. This disc is a tantalizing glimpse of his first movements in the latter direction.



Don Ellis: How Time Passes To Essence, Revisited
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Recent Selections @ Squidco:


Isotope Ensemble:
Caesium
(Creative Sources)



Modelbau:
1x33.3
(Love Earth Music)



Udo Schindler /
Rieko Okuda /
Eric Zwang Eriksson:
Disturbed Terrains
[2 CDs]
(Creative Sources)



Cecil Taylor:
Air Above Mountains
(ENJA RECORDS)



Rick Reger:
Textures & Tonalities for
Analogue Synthesizers
&
Percussion
(Aural Terrains)



Carlos Zingaro /
Carlos Bechegas /
Ernesto Rodrigues:
Spleen
(Creative Sources)



Teodora Stepancic:
A O | F G
(Another Timbre)



Don Cherry /
Krzysztof Penderecki:
Actions
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Wolf Eyes /
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26 October 2023
(ESP)



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Albert Ayler Trio:
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Bryn Harrison (
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Marc Copland Quartet (
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