ONLY WANTING TO MELT BEAUTIFULLY AWAY IS IT A LACK OF CONTENTMENT THAT STIRS AFFECTION FOR THOSE THINGS SAID TO BE AS YET UNSEEN (2011)

ANOTHER COLLABORATION WITH AMBARCHI AND HAINO (THERE ARE A FEW OF THESE, AT LEAST SIX BY MY ESTIMATES) BUT COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE LAST ONE REVIEWED. THAT ONE SAW THE THREE STUTTER INTO ACID-FRIED SOLAR-POWERED EARTH-BATTERING ROCK, WHICH AT TIMES WAS TROUSER-FLAPPINGLY TRANSCENDENT. 

THIS RECORD IS A MORE RESTRAINED AFFAIR. JIM PLAYS THE 12-STRING ACOUSTIC, AMBARCHI STAYS BEHIND THE TRAPS, WHILE HAINO SINGS PLAINTIVELY AND SWITCHES BETWEEN AN ARSENAL OF INSTRUMENTS INCLUDING THE KANTELE/PSALTERY. LOOK:

RECORDED LIVE AT ROPPONGI ARTVENUE SUPERDELUXE (RIP), MELT... FINDS ALL THREE IN DECENT FORM. I THINK THEY'RE NATURAL COLLABORATORS AND ONE THING THAT IMPRESSES ME ABOUT AMBARCHI IS HIS RESTRAINT AND GIVING OF SPACE. HE'S LIKE THE CENTRAL MIDFIELDER YOU DON'T SEE IN A FOOTBALL GAME, DOING ALL THE DIRTY WORK AND LETTING OTHERS TAKE THE SPOILS.

SOUND-WISE THE RECORD DEVOLVES FROM A PLEASANT OPENING OF FOLK-INSPIRED CHANTING AND PLAYING INTO A FAIR OLD MESS OF NOISE. HAINO DOWNS THE KANTELE AND PLAYS A SYNTH WITH A LITTLE MALICE. ONCE YOU COME OUT OF THE OTHER SIDE, DEEP INTO SIDE B THEY RETURN TO EARTH WITH A GENTLE THUD. 

JUST DYING FOR THESE THREE TO GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER AND DELIVER FOR A FULL-LENGTH RECORD. IT CAN BE DONE! IT MUST BE DONE!

UNRELEASED? (2011)

FIRE! ARE A SWEDISH TRIO OF VETERAN EXPERIMENTAL MUSICIANS AND JAZZERS INCLUDING THE VENERABLE SAXOPHONIST MATS GUSTAFSSON. THEY, ON THEIR REGULAR NON-COLLABORATIVE WITH OUTSIDER RECORDS, SLOT IN NICELY WITH THE GENERAL AESTHETIC OF OSLO LABEL RUNE GRAMMOFON: GENERALLY MORE LISTENABLE HYBRIDS OF JAZZ AND EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC AKIN TO SOMETHING PUT OUT BY ECM, ONLY WITH A FOCUS ON SCANDINAVIAN TALENT.

JIM SEEMS TO PLAY A SQUALLING ELECTRIC GUITAR HERE WHILE THE RHYTHM SECTION KEEP AN INTERESTING AND MOMENTUM-FOCUSED BACKING GOING. GUSTAFSSON INTERVENES WITH SOME CHUNKY OVERBLOWN SAX TONES AND RHYTHMIC INTERPLAY. IT'S AMAZING HOW EVEN WITH A DECENT BEAT AND BASS BLAPPING AWAY THAT EVEN THE MOST ANNOYING GUITAR SECTIONS DON'T REPEL YOU COMPLETELY.

AT ITS BEST IT REMINDS ME OF FINNISH GROUP CIRCLE OR BOHREN UND DER CLUB OF GORE. UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOT ALL AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL AND I'D ARGUE, THOUGH NOT TOO PASSIONATELY, THAT WHATEVER JIM IS DOING IS PROBABLY THE LEAST INTERESTING THING GOING ON HERE. AT POINTS IT WOULDN'T EVEN BE A CASE OF 'CHANGING WHAT YOU'RE PLAYING' RATHER JUST ERASING HIS CONTRIBUTIONS. 

THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE, I SHOULD POINT OUT, BUT THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH ATONAL WANKING ON A GUITAR A MAN CAN TAKE.