Burnt Friedman is slowly becoming one of the most respected
musicians of his generation, not only in his native Germany,
but also across Europe. Thanks to a prolific and creative
mind, Friedman constantly redefines the boundaries of
his musical capacities. Over the recent months, not only
has he got his own label, Nonplace, off the ground, but
he’s also worked on an album with his friend Atom™
for their Flanger project,
produced and released a compilation of his favourite tracks
by the same Atom™, and worked on
diverse remixes and production work. For this new album,
he’s teamed up with legendary Can drummer Jaki Liebezeit.
Praised and admired for his unique cyclical beats, Liebezeit
offers here a rather subdued performance compared to some
of his previous work. Always remaining slightly in the
background of Friedman’s deceptively simple melodies,
he however injects complex rhythmic structures on each
track, providing a healthy balance to Burnt’s Latin inspired
electronic composition. The mood on Secret Rhythms
is definitely laid back and hypnotic, ranging from languorous
dub style moments (Rastafahndung) to exotic impressions
(Gulli Verreisen). If the work is by essence
electronic, the result has the intensity of live music,
establishing an interesting parallel with Flanger’s
outer space jazz excursions. Here though, the jazz element
is not as predominant as on some of Friedman’s previous
releases, the man concentrating on more colourful ambiences
instead. In addition to Friedman and Liebezeit, electric
guitar fusion legend and Friedman’s long time collaborator
Josef Suchy weaves discreet funky touches all the way
through, while Copenhagen Morten Grønvad, whose
work with Atom™ on his Señor
Coconut project hasn’t gone unnoticed, provides beautiful
cascades of vibraphone on almost every tracks. Highlights
on this album include the nonchalant Rhein Rauf
and Royal Roost, as well as Rastafahndung
and the three versions of the concluding track, Obscured
by 5, mixed together in an almost seamless flow.
For this album, his twelvth album released in just ten
years years, Burnt Friedman has once again opted for collaborative
work, and is demonstrating the same expressive musical
skills as in his past records. Secret Rhythms
presents an interesting exchange between the complex worlds
of two complementary musicians.
4.5/5 |
