The Squid's Ear
Recently @ Squidco:

Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio:
Dream A Dream (Libra)

Pianist Satoko Fujii's Tokyo Trio, featuring bassist Takashi Sugawa and drummer Ittetsu Takemura, expertly balances structured compositions with intuitive improvisation on their third album, recorded in Paris after touring the material across Japan and Europe, exploring shifting moods and intricate interplay through richly lyrical piano lines, subtle rhythmic dialogue, and inventive collective expression. ... Click to View


Paul Dunmalll (Dunmall / Sanders / Bellatalla / Adams):
Jazz Suite Outcome Of Choice (FMR)

Recorded at Birmingham's Custard Factory in 1999, tenor saxophonist Paul Dunmall leads drummer Mark Sanders, bassist Roberto Bellatalla, and guitarist John Adams through a set of Dunmall compositions, delivering lyrically expressive free jazz improvisations that blend dynamic interaction with inventive melodic exploration. ... Click to View


Transcendence (Bob Gluck / Christopher Dean Sullivan / Karl Latham):
Music Of Pat Metheny (FMR)

Inspired by the compositions of Pat Metheny, the Transcendence trio of pianist Bob Gluck, bassist Christopher Dean Sullivan, and drummer Karl Latham blends intent listening and explorative improvisational mastery into an expressive and dynamic performance, recorded in parallel with Gluck's book Pat Metheny: Stories Beyond Words in a heart-felt and sincere tribute to the guitarist's work. ... Click to View


Frode Gjerstad:
Stavanger 9 9 2024 (FMR)

A live 2024 performance at Spor 5 in Stavanger, Norway, uniting saxophonist Frode Gjerstad with pianist Margaux Oswald and drummer Ivar Myrset Asheim in an engaging set of collective free improvisation marked by dynamic interplay, impressive dialog from reserved introspection to expansive kinetic energy across shifting textures and intensities. ... Click to View


Ackerley / Prymek / Turner:
All Hope With Sleeping Minds [CASSETTE] (Full Spectrum)

Born from remote exchanges between Jessica Ackerley (guitar, voice, synth), Nick Turner (guitar, mellotron, synth), and Chaz Prymek (guitar, lap steel), this debut album emerges as an evocative imaginary soundtrack, blending improvisational noise with Americana-inflected ambience in an expansive meditation on post-apocalyptic contemplation. ... Click to View


David Myers Lee :
Tin Drop Tear [BOOK w/ DOWNLOAD] (pulsewidth)

Experimental composer and feedback artist David Lee Myers (Arcane Device) ventures into literary territory with a limited-edition book of fifty "Plunder-Lit" poetic pieces, complemented by fifteen spoken-word audio readings set to experimental soundscapes, evoking Tristan Tzara's work, William S. Burroughs' cutups, and the sensibilities of Captain Beefheart. ... Click to View


Leap Of Faith:
Decoding the Evolution of Meaning (Evil Clown)

Boston-based improvisational ensemble Leap of Faith, led by multi-instrumentalist David Peck (PEK) and cellist Glynis Lomon, presents a drummerless seven-piece configuration recorded live at Evil Clown Headquarters, navigating expansive free improvisation with horns, strings, electronics, and unconventional percussion in an explorative chamber-like performance of subtle dynamics and spontaneous interplay ... Click to View


Zilmrah:
Hallucinatory X-Ray Visions (Love Earth Music)

The debut full-length from Lawry Romani's noise/drone project Zilmrah blends manipulated samples, modular synths, and handcrafted electroacoustic instruments into intriguingly distorted yet spacious soundscapes, balancing hypnotic rhythms with dadaist absurdity and dense sonic experimentation in a captivating journey of cut-up electronics and immersive drones. ... Click to View


Peter Brotzmann / Heather Leigh:
Ears Are Filled With Wonder (Not Two)

Brotzmann continued to surprise in eclectic pairings, here pitting his tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, tarogato, and clarinet against Heather Leigh's pedal steel guitar, recorded during a tour of Poland where the two paused from big bands, trios, quartets, and duos to record this gem. ... Click to View


Joe Fonda Quartet (w/ Wadda Leo Smith / Satoko Fujii / Tizano Tononi):
Eyes On The Horizon (Long Song Records)

NY Bassist-composer Joe Fonda leads an exceptional quartet featuring trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, pianist Satoko Fujii, and drummer Tiziano Tononi in a profound tribute to his mentor Smith, skillfully blending compositional clarity with collective improvisation in a deeply resonant and lyrically intricate musical conversation that reflects inspiration, respect, and artistic integrity. ... Click to View


Giovanni Maier / Alexander Hawkins:
Two For Keith (Long Song Records)

Recorded live in the studio in Trieste, Italy, bassist Giovanni Maier and pianist Alexander Hawkins deliver a deeply expressive and adventurous duo session dedicated to the late, great Keith Tippett, weaving spontaneous improvisations and dynamic interplay in a heartfelt homage that reflects Tippett's profound influence and creative spirit. ... Click to View


Ernesto Rodrigues / Carlos Santos / Miguel Mira:
The Knowledge That Our Time Is Limited Can Inspire Us (Creative Sources)

Recorded live during the 2024 Creative Sources Cycle, violist Ernesto Rodrigues, cellist Miguel Mira, and analog synthesist Carlos Santos deliver a nuanced and exploratory collective improvisation, drawing on Rodrigues's delicate textural approach, Mira's lyrical sensitivity, and Santos's ethereal synth interactions, evoking an urgent reflection on the fleeting nature of time. ... Click to View


Der Vierte Zustand:
Layers (Creative Sources)

The Cologne-based free improvising trio Der Vierte Zustand — vocalist Hanna Schörken, guitarist Christina Zurhausen, and drummer Ramon Keck — om a compelling blend of experimental soundscapes, noise rock influences, and free jazz energy, driven by Schörken's acrobatic wordless vocals, Zurhausen's effects-laden guitar textures, and Keck's dynamic rhythms. ... Click to View


Udo Schindler / Sandy Ewen / Damon Smith:
Munich Sound Studies Vols. 4, 5 & 6 [3 CDs] (Balance Point Acoustics)

An expansive 3-CD document recorded live across three Munich venues in May 2023, featuring Udo Schindler (clarinets, saxophones, brass), Sandy Ewen (electric guitar), and Damon Smith (double bass), each session enhanced by collaborators Karina Erhard, Jaap Blonk, and Sebastiano Tramontana, in an inventive series of improvisations of dynamic interplay and innovative sonic experiments. ... Click to View


Thanos Chrysakis :
Psyche (Eternal Music Projects)

Exploring the depths and boundaries of the psyche through seven compelling electroacoustic compositions, Greek composer Thanos Chrysakis delivers a deeply psychedelic, mysterious, and immersive sonic journey, masterfully blending electronic textures and acousmatic elements that resonate within the listener's consciousness, psyche, and imagination — a vivid reflection on complex inner landscapes. ... Click to View


Luke Martin:
To Be Worthy of Pessoa (Editions Verde)

Drawing inspiration from Fernando Pessoa's "The Book of Disquiet," composer Luke Martin leads the ensemble Ordinary Affects — Morgan Evans-Weiler & Francesca Caruso (violin), Jordan Dykstra (viola), Laura Cetilia (cello), J.P.A. Falzone (vibes) and Luke Damrosch (farfisa organ) — through two introspective, quietly evolving compositions of minimalistic beauty creating thoughtful sonic dialogues. ... Click to View


Turbulence Orchestra & Sub-Units:
Smear Out the Difficulties (Double Live) [2 CDs] (Evil Clown)

Bringing together a powerful 20-member ensemble, Turbulence Orchestra — led by David Peck and featuring Bonnie Kane, John Loggia, Glynis Lomon, and a diverse array of improvisers — unleashes an expansive and dynamic improvisational journey, combining dense textures, radical instrumentation, and structured spontaneity through novel conducting techniques for a set of unique sonic narratives. ... Click to View


God Pussy:
Rudimentar Desejo De Liberdade (Love Earth Music)

Brazilian noise artist Jhones Silva, aka God Pussy, delivers a brutal, uncompromising conglomerate of harsh electronic textures, abstract noise, and aggressive sonic distortion, employing pedals, synths, radios & noise generators in an intense DIY exploration of social chaos, urban corruption, and humanity's unfulfilled desire for freedom through confrontational electroacoustic compositions. ... Click to View


Simon Nabatov / Mark Helias / Tom Rainey:
Assamblage (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

A far-ranging transatlantic trio session from pianist Simon Nabatov, bassist Mark Helias, and drummer Tom Rainey, capturing a dynamic fusion of composed and collective free jazz, as Nabatov's intricate compositions burst with frenetic energy, shifting between exuberant rhythmic interplay, explosive improvisation, and richly textured sonic landscapes in an electrifying set of performances. ... Click to View


Harri Sjostrom:
SoundScapes #4 Festival Berlin 2023 [3 CDs] (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

A remarkable live document of Finnish saxophonist Harri Sjöström's SoundScapes #4 festival in Berlin, bringing together 19 extraordinary musicians from across Europe, Australia, and the U.S. for a series of improvised performances from intimate duos to expansive octets, highlighting spontaneous collaborations all driven by creative risk-taking, deep listening, and a profound sense of musical trust. ... Click to View


Ivo Perelman / Tyshawn Sorey:
Paralell Aesthetics [2 CDs] (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

A fearless and fluid exchange between saxophonist Ivo Perelman and drummer/pianist Tyshawn Sorey, this double album captures the duo's extraordinary chemistry, shifting between blistering intensity and spacious, exploratory passages as Sorey alternates between drums and piano, forging intricate dialogues with Perelman's masterful phrasing in a boundless and deeply expressive sonic journey. ... Click to View


Remedy (Thomas Heberer / Joe Fonda / Joe Hertenstein):
Hipp Hooray - Celbrating Centenial of Yutta Hipp (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Trumpeter Thomas Heberer, bassist Joe Fonda, and drummer Joe Hertenstein celebrate the centennial of pioneering German pianist Jutta Hipp with Hipp Hooray, a set of nine compositions inspired by her life and legacy, not as a recreation of her sound but as a vibrant and personal tribute, capturing the resilience, innovation, and artistic spirit of a musician whose influence transcended generations and borders. ... Click to View


Musicworks Magazine:
#150 Winter 2024/25 [MAGAZINE + CD] (Musicworks)

Canada's premiere music magazine dedicated to experimental music, improvisation, and sound art, featuring interviews with Maylee Todd, Joshua Van Tassel, Kaïa Kater, and Alexis Baro, alongside coverage of Chuck Copenace, Kalaisan Kalaichelvan, and The Burning Hell, with an accompanying CD of tracks from the issue's featured musicians, offering great inside into the contemporary creative music scene. ... Click to View


Threes And Will & Huerequeque:
Blood River Poort (Love Earth Music)

A relentless and immersive sonic experience from Estonian experimental guitarist Threes And Will and noise artist Huerequeque, through two unrelenting compositions of heavy, pulsating guitar noise, evoking a throbbing, menacing atmosphere with an almost meditative intensity, channeling the South African Boer War into a raw and uncompromising exploration of texture, density, and sound. ... Click to View


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 / Leguia / 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



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The Squid's Ear

When The Squid's Ear first started it was with the idea of creating a magazine website that emulated the print medium. Hence we created structured covers for each "issue," which were purportedly delivered quarterly. Below are the 6 issues from our first 2 years.

The Squid's Ear 1st Or So
Anniversary Issue


Squid's Ear 1st Anniversary
Illustration: Madeleine Fix


FEATURES

    EEwAP+JB(10)
        Ellery Eskelin's Trio with Andrea Parkins and Jim Black
        Mark 10 Years Together

        By Kurt Gottschalk

    The Best Kept Secret in the East
        Tom Rainey Sits Behind the Kit for Tim Berne,
        Mark Helias and Tony Malaby. Surely You've Noticed

        By Matt Rand
         An Earful of Rainey
        By Steve Smith



FESTIVAL REVIEW

    Flying through Vancouver
        The 16th Annual Time Flies Festival
        By Paul Serralheiros



BOOK REVIEWS

    Helen Stapinski - Baby Plays Around (Villard)
        By Kristen Persinos

    Steve Dollar - Jazz Guide to New York City
    (The Little Bookroom)
        By Kurt Gottschalk


10 Pauline Oliveros Okk Yung Lee Steppenwolf XXXXX
The Best of
Last Year
Pauline Oliveros
on the Accordion
Okkyung Lee
Travelogue
Our Own
Bottom Shelf
Editorials










Previously Featured at The Squid's Ear

December 2003

Squid Sax SAXOPHONE TRIO

    Singing at the Threshold
        Kali Fasteau's Lifetime of
        Listening and Playing

        By James Keepnews

    Berlitz Jazz
        David Murray's Musical Travels
        By Kurt Gottschalk

    John Butcher
        Improvising from a
        Sound Perspective

        By Marc Chénard




    Outside the Chicken Shack
            Lars Hollmer Brings Sammla Mammas Manna to the U.S.
        By William Burke

    Festival Reviews

        Fiasco in Chicago
            The 2003 Jazz Festival, and the Story that Needn't Be Told
            By Kurt Gottschalk

        Guelph's Caring Adventure
            The Little Engine in Ontario
            By Mike Chamberlain

    Book Review

        John Fahey's Vampire Vultures
            By Kurt Gottschalk


Johnny Cash RIAA Marc Ribot Italian Flag Cabaret Laws
Ameri-chord: Johnny Cash Remembered The Upside of Dowloading Marc Ribot's Musical Activism Jim Pugliese's Travelogue Cheek to Cheek Misdemeanors






Previously Featured at The Squid's Ear

October 2003




Overview:

    Mike Hammer, Les Baxter and the Jewish People
    The Many Tribes of John Zorn
    By Skip Heller

    Charming the Cobra
    A first-hand account of organizing a performance of John Zorn's most famous game piece
    By Eyal Hareuveni



Interview:

    12 Stories About John Zorn and One About A Fan
    Claudia Heuermann's Documentary Shows Musician and Filmmaker in Action
    By Kurt Gottschalk

    Op Ed: The Zorn Non-Inteview
    Ah, John, We Hardly Knew Ye




In Review:

    A Month of Zorndays
    John Zorn's 50th Birthday Celebration at Tonic
    Updated througout the month!



Critics Picks: John Zorn on Record





July 2003



Susie Ibarra

Susie's Aria
Drummer Susie Ibarra Premieres her first Opera
By Steve Smith

Great Minds at Play
Finding Art in Science, Monthly at Cornelia Street Cafe
By Matt Rand

Goth Pop, The Ocean and Radio Shack
The Unique Sensibilities of Marianne Nowottny
By Florence Wetzel

Stop and Smell the Sewers
Psychogeographers Strive to Slow the Nonstop City
By Kurt Gottschalk and Urania Mylonas

Free Music Missionary or Professional Juggler
Evan Parker Discusses Four Decades in Free Improvisation
By Marc Chenard

Festival Reviews:

    Big Sounds in a Small Town
    The Victoriaville Festival celebrates, or at least notices, its 20th anniversary
    By Kurt Gottschalk

    Visions from the Past
    The 2003 Vision Festival Resurrects Legends from the '60s
    By Kurt Gottschalk
        Sound and Vision 2002
        Thirsty Ear's Vision Festival CD/DVD Reviewed


Op-Ed:

    Irving Stone Remembered,
    The Jazz Journalists Awards Noted,
    The Knitting Factory Lamented


 
Butch Morris
Butch Morris Interviewed Derek Bailey on the Guitar Perry Robinson on the Clarinet Anthony Coleman's Bottom Shelf


April 2003



Fred Frith

Destruction and Creativity
Fred Frith in Montreal
By Mike Chamberlain
    An Earful of Fred
    By Len 37 Siegfried

When They Write the Book
Pianist Lewis Porter's Creates an Encyclopedia of Jazz
By Matt Rand

Festival Reviews:

    Sound in the Balance
    Amplify 2003: Elemental
    By Nirav Soni
        An Electroacoustic Ear
        By Nirav Soni

    Swiss Harmony Knife
    Notes from After Yodel: New Swiss Music
    By Kurt Gottschalk




January 2003





Peter Kowald and the New York Unity Village
By Mike Heffley

Separatism and Sound in French Quebec
By Mike Chamberlain

Freedom of Suppression
By Urania Mylonas

The Manhattan Listening Tour
By Nirav Soni

With the Infidel
By Jon Rose

In the Air There's a Feeling of Boombox
By Kurt Gottschalk

Peter Kowald


The Squid's Ear presents
reviews about releases
sold at Squidco.com
written by
independent writers.

Squidco

Recent Selections @ Squidco:


Frode Gjerstad:
Stavanger
9 9 2024
(FMR)



Paul Dunmalll (
Dunmall /
Sanders /
Bellatalla /
Adams):
Jazz Suite
Outcome Of Choice
(FMR)



Transcendence (
Bob Gluck /
Christopher Dean Sullivan /
Karl Latham):
Music Of
Pat Metheny
(FMR)



Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio:
Dream A Dream
(Libra)



David Myers Lee:
Tin Drop Tear
[BOOK w/
DOWNLOAD]
(pulsewidth)



Joe Fonda Quartet (
w/ Wadda Leo Smith /
Satoko Fujii /
Tizano Tononi):
Eyes On
The Horizon
(Long Song Records)



Giovanni Maier /
Alexander Hawkins:
Two For Keith
(Long Song Records)



Udo Schindler /
Sandy Ewen /
Damon Smith:
Munich Sound Studies
Vols. 4, 5 & 6
[3 CDs]
(Balance Point Acoustics)



Ivo Perelman /
Tyshawn Sorey:
Paralell Aesthetics
[2 CDs]
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Simon Nabatov /
Mark Helias /
Tom Rainey:
Assamblage
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Harri Sjostrom:
SoundScapes #4
Festival Berlin 2023
[3 CDs]
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



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



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



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



Isotope Ensemble:
Caesium
(Creative Sources)



Modelbau:
1x33.3
(Love Earth Music)



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)







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