No background on this one, no prior experience of the
players, no promo sheet from the label. The label’s
website doesn’t really explain anything. The digipak
gives precious little away, except that:
the label RX-TX “are supported in part by a grant
from the ministry of culture of the Republic of Slovenia”;
that Barberi plays sax, text, voice on track 6 and Pernice
plays piano and electronics;
unfortunately the track titles are in French and therefore
prove mysterious: Au Dela Du Miroir, Sur
La Route Encore, Entourloupe, Octave
Moins Un, Oiseaux Mouches, Le Miroir
S’Observe, Au Board Du Centre...
and the cover’s minimal floral design doesn’t
communicate anything. So there’s nothing left
but the music...
Au Dela Du Miroir begins with the sound of
comingling saxophone and synthesizers. After a minute
it’s succeeded by a forthright declaration from
Barberi’s sax (filtered in some way to make it
sound a little off-colour) accompanied by tinkling piano,
pre-programmed beats and synthetic treatments. The sax
sounds on the edge of crazed, pealing off into wails
and squeals, which are in fairly marked contrast to
the beats/piano that convey something of the air of
a polite jazz-funk track. The effect is strange –
more like two tracks running in parallel and by singular
chance happening to play in time.
Sur La Route Encore begins with noir chords
sounded on electric piano with Barberi this time sounding
as though he’s playing from a rainy doorway down
a neon-lit alleyway. Pernice continues to provide atmospheres
and comping to support his colleague’s soloing.
Entourloupe sounds strikingly like a three
minute version of Jon Hassell’s Charm (Over
Burundi Cloud) from Fourth World Vol.1: Possible
Musics, whether this is deliberate or not is unclear.
Octave Moins Un maintains the noir feel with
suspended tippytoe piano and a slightly crunchier rhythm
bed. Barberi traces long streamers of saxophone over
these elements.
Pernice and Barberi appear to be aiming at a form that
allows for the exploration of electronic tone colours
and instrumental soloing and this they do with some
success. There are a few reservations however, namely
that the feel of the tracks is a little too similar
and that, although an uncredited percussionist appears
on at least one track, the programmed percussion is
a little limited. This music might have been more powerful
had a flesh and blood player been employed. Overall
though, Drosophiles Et Doryphores is an interesting
hybrid and it will be
interesting to hear the direction in which Pernice and
Barberi develop this music.
Colin Buttimer
2/5 |
