The Squid's Ear
Recently @ Squidco:

KnCurrent (Brennan / Cooper-Moore / Davis / Hwang):
KnCurrent (Deep Dish)

An electrifying and richly textured electroacoustic quartet of NY improvisers—Patrick Brennan on alto saxophone, Cooper-Moore on diddley-bo, On Ka'a Davis on electric guitar, and Jason Kao Hwang on electric violin — weaving active improvisations where timbre, pitch, and rhythm share equal weight, as KnCurrent channels dynamic musical interaction into a polyglot, collective voice. ... Click to View


Elliott Sharp / Scott Fields :
Reimsi Geara (Relative Pitch)

A vital and inventive meeting between NY guitarist Elliott Sharp and Chicago guitarist Scott Fields, two visionary electric guitarists whose longstanding collaboration finds them weaving complex textures, sharp counterpoint, and dynamic interplay into a seamless blend of free improvisation, experimental composition, and nuanced sonic dialogue. ... Click to View


Dietrichs:
No Bahdu (Relative Pitch)

An uncompromising and electrifying studio set from father-daughter duo Don and Camille Dietrich, whose ferocious blend of distorted tenor saxophone and overdriven cello pushes sonic boundaries through four intense improvisations, merging free jazz, noise, and amplified effects into a blistering, high-voltage assault of raw energy and experimental fire. ... Click to View


Biota:
Measured Not Found (Recommended Records)

A deeply immersive and meticulously crafted work from the reclusive Biota collective, blending microtonal instruments, electroacoustic techniques, and a wide array of ancient and modern timbres into a richly layered and human sound-world of instrumental and delicate song forms, unfolding across shifting textures and suspended time-the result of more than seven years of collaborative studio experimentation. ... Click to View


Charlemagne Palestine / Seppe Gebruers:
Beyondddddd The Notessssss [VINYL] (Konnekt)

A mystical microtonal encounter between Charlemagne Palestine and Seppe Gebruers on four grand pianos — two tuned to 428Hz and two to 440Hz — recorded live in Geneva's Fonderie Kugler, where the duo's passion for unusual tunings and multi-piano performance unfolds in deeply resonant, transcendent layers of sound and silence. ... Click to View


Charlemagne Palestine / Seppe Gebruers:
Beyondddddd The Notessssss [NEON GREEN VINYL] (Konnekt)

A mystical microtonal encounter between Charlemagne Palestine and Seppe Gebruers on four grand pianos — two tuned to 428Hz and two to 440Hz — recorded live in Geneva's Fonderie Kugler, where the duo's passion for unusual tunings and multi-piano performance unfolds in deeply resonant, transcendent layers of sound and silence. ... Click to View


Deli Kuvveti :
Kuslar Soyledi [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD] (Tsss Tapes)

A limited-edition cassette release from Turkish-born, Seattle-based artist Deli Kuvveti, Kuşlar Söyledi presents four studio compositions blending creaking doors, bird and liquid sounds, and minimal drones into a meditative exploration of microsound and sound collage. ... Click to View


Viddekazz2:
Sounds Of Silence (Public Eyesore)

An assertive Japanese punk-noise duo from Tokyo, VIDDEKAZZ2 delivers a volatile fusion of syncopated drumming, abrasive guitar textures, and unexpectedly serene vocals, channeling the disjointed energy of early noise rock with subtle pop inflections and a raw, Load Records-era aesthetic. ... Click to View


Leap Of Faith:
Spectral Radii (Evil Clown)

A compact yet sonically expansive set from the Boston-based Evil Clown collective, featuring PEK, Glynis Lomon, John Fugarino, and Michael Knoblach in a highly textural electroacoustic improvisation, blending a massive arsenal of traditional, extended, and invented instruments into a dense, spontaneous tapestry that embodies the group's signature broad-palette aesthetic. ... Click to View


Steve Lehman Trio + Mark Turner:
The Music of Anthony Braxton (Pi Recordings)

Alto saxophonist Steve Lehman leads his trio with bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Damion Reid, joined by tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, in a vibrant live homage to Anthony Braxton's small ensemble works, blending intricate modern jazz interplay with searing emotional expression in a bold, high-energy celebration of Braxton's enduring influence. ... Click to View


Steve Lehman Trio + Mark Turner:
The Music of Anthony Braxton [VINYL] (Pi Recordings)

Alto saxophonist Steve Lehman leads his trio with bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Damion Reid, joined by tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, in a vibrant live homage to Anthony Braxton's small ensemble works, blending intricate modern jazz interplay with searing emotional expression in a bold, high-energy celebration of Braxton's enduring influence. ... Click to View


Ellery Eskelin Trio New York:
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

Reuniting for two powerful studio sessions recorded in 2011 and 2013, tenor saxophonist Ellery Eskelin, organist Gary Versace, and drummer Gerald Cleaver form Trio New York, navigating an intuitive path between free improvisation and jazz standards with soulful depth, rich allusions, and a shared language that reimagines the classic organ trio. ... Click to View


Russ Johnson / Christian Weber / Dieter Ulrich:
To Walk On Eggshells (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

In a spontaneously assembled 2009 session at Zürich's DRS studio, trumpeter Russ Johnson, bassist Christian Weber, and drummer Dieter Ulrich sculpt a dynamic and intuitive trio performance, threading balladic lyricism with abstract tension in a deft interplay of trust, fragility, and risk that transforms improvisation into captivating and timeless art. ... Click to View


Jean-Jacques Birge :
Perspectives Du Xxiie Siecle (Musee d'ethnographie de Geneve)

Commissioned by Geneva's Museum of Ethnography, Jean-Jacques Birgé crafts a richly imaginative sonic fiction using field recordings, archival folk material, and electroacoustic composition, with a remarkable ensemble including Nicolas Chedmail, Antonin-Tri Hoang, Jean-François Vrod, Sylvain Lemêtre, and Else Birgé, evoking a post-human journey through reinvention and memory. ... Click to View


Un Drame Musical Instantane:
Tchak (Klanggalerie)

The final recordings of Un Drame Musical Instantané with co-founder Bernard Vitet, compiling sessions from 1998 to 2000 with the Machiavel Quartet and guests including Baco Mourchid and Nem, blending free jazz, electroacoustic experimentation, and multimedia spontaneity into cinematic improvisations that showcase the ensemble's enduring commitment to collective creation and sonic innovation. ... Click to View


Paul Flaherty:
A Willing Passenger (Relative Pitch)

A solo saxophone album from legendary free improviser Paul Flaherty, recorded at Pete's Basement Studio in Massachusetts in 2021, presenting a deeply personal and expressive journey through alto and tenor saxophone explorations that juxtapose raw turbulence and lyrical beauty, continuing Flaherty's legacy of shaping sound into emotionally resonant sonic narratives ... Click to View


Tommaso Rolando / Andy Moor :
Biscotti [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOADS] (Tsss Tapes)

Recorded live in Genoa in 2022, the energetic and exploratory, rock-oriented duo of bassist Tommaso Rolando (Torto Editions) and guitarist Andy Moor (The Ex) captures an improvisational dialog shaped by alternate tunings, intent listening, and kinetic spontaneity, as the two seasoned performers bridge punk-rooted experimentation with richly resonant acoustic interplay. ... Click to View


Tetsuya Nakayama :
Edo Wan [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD] (Tsss Tapes)

Composing with assembled field recordings and environmental textures, Chiba, Japan-based composer Tetsuya Nakayama transforms mundane sounds into poetic events, as water, metal, and incidental noise intertwine in a quiet yet immersive narrative that re-enchants everyday spaces, revealing a new mode of listening shaped by nuance and fleeting detail. ... Click to View


Turbulence Orchestra and Sub-Units:
Tempestuous Hubbub (2 CDs) (Evil Clown)

A massive 22-member improvising ensemble, the Turbulence Orchestra and Sub-Units are heard live in Vermont, with five dynamic sub-unit performances and a full-orchestra hour-long guided improvisation, blending structured conduction, graphic notation techniques, and a chaotic palette of woodwinds, brass, strings, percussion and even rubber chickens in an intense and unpredictable sonic experience. ... Click to View


+Felladog+:
+Felladog+ (Love Earth Music)

A high-decibel collaboration between harsh noise veteran Steve Davis (+DOG+) and Cleveland sound artist Jim Fellahean Szudy (Fellahean), recorded in Massachusetts and Ohio, blending subterranean industrial textures with metal scraping, low drones, and brutal sonic ruptures across 14 dynamic tracks, delivering an hour of immersive and confrontational electro-industrial experimentation. ... Click to View


Masayo Koketsu / Nava Dunkelman / Tim Berne:
Poiesis (Relative Pitch)

A first-time meeting in the studio for alto saxophonists Tim Berne and Masayo Koketsu with percussionist Nava Dunkelman, captured in a dynamic session of collective free improvisation where contrasting approaches — Berne's grounded tone, Koketsu's extended techniques, and Dunkelman's textural percussion — intertwine with clarity and spontaneous expression. ... Click to View


Laura Cocks:
FATHM (Relative Pitch)

An intimate and exploratory solo recording from NY flutist Laura Cocks, known for their work with TAK Ensemble, presenting a poetic and deeply focused album where breath, silence, and sound merge into fragile, resonant gestures — Cocks bends time and expectation with extended technique and stillness, inviting the listener into a space of presence and emotional depth. ... Click to View


Julia Uehla and Dalava:
Understories (Pi Recordings)

Drawing from Moravian folk songs transcribed by her great-grandfather, vocalist Julia Úlehla leads the Vancouver ensemble Dálava in a haunting and emotionally charged set blending Czech and English vocals with experimental improvisation, as Aram Bajakian, Peggy Lee, and Joshua Zubot weave a deeply layered, otherworldly sonic journey that bridges ancestry and avant sound. ... Click to View


John Zorn (Ikue Mori):
The Bagatelles Vol. 4 Ikue Mori (Tzadik)

Downtown NY improviser, sound artist and drummer Ikue Mori reimagines John Zorn's compositions from his Bagatelles book through her distinctive electronic lens, crafting a solo album where composed structures meet spontaneous digital improvisation, revealing new dimensions and highlighting her innovative approach to sound and form. ... Click to View


Poudingue:
La Preuve (GRRR)

A song-oriented, genre-blurring album from the French quartet Poudingue (Pudding), drawing from the spirit of Rock in Opposition with richly layered arrangements, experimental textures, and playful lyricism, as multi-instrumentalist Nicolas Chedmail, guitarist Frédéric Mainçon, synthesist Jean-Jacques Birgé, and drummer Benjamin Sanz fuse improvisation and composition into an irreverent and inventive set. ... Click to View


Denis Lavant / Jean-Jacques Birge / Lionel Martin:
Les Dements (2 CDS) (GRRR / Ouch!)

Following their 2022 album Fictions, French saxophonist Lionel Martin and multi-instrumentalist Jean-Jacques Birgé reunite with actor Denis Lavant for a second collaboration, captured in a spontaneous two-disc session of spoken word and electroacoustic improvisation, as Lavant delivers chosen texts with surreal intensity amid vividly shifting soundscapes. ... Click to View


Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg / Nuno Torres / Ernesto Rodrigues / Joao Madeira / Carlos Santos :
La Rambarde Des Songes, Les Congruences Des Soupirs (Creative Sources)

A hushed and enigmatic quintet improvisation featuring Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg's extended vocal techniques alongside Nuno Torres (alto saxophone), Ernesto Rodrigues (viola, crackle box), João Madeira (double bass), and Carlos Santos (modular synthesizer), unfolding in reductionist, pointillistic interplay that explores subtle texture, utterance, and resonance. ... Click to View


Erik Klinga:
Elusive Shimmer (thanatosis produktion)

Swedish composer Erik Klinga crafts radiant electroacoustic works from Buchla synth, pipe organ, drum machine, and field recordings, weaving melodic ambient vignettes that shimmer with warmth and light, moving through celestial textures, gliding rhythms, and bird-like flourishes in a richly detailed debut recorded at Stockholm’s Royal College of Music, the first of a planned trilogy on Thanatosis. ... Click to View


Metal Chaos Ensemble:
Room 2017 (Evil Clown)

A transitional yet quintessential Metal Chaos Ensemble set, this septet blends horns, Chapman Stick, electronics, guitar, drums, and an arsenal of metallic percussion with spoken word, creating dense free improvisation that balances spacey electronics, chaotic interplay, and shifting sonic textures within the group's evolving aesthetic. ... Click to View


Unsub:
Suffer Apathy (Love Earth Music)

A collaborative ambient work from sound artists, LA-based guitarist Fetusk and Massachusetts-based synthesizer Steven Davis, blending subtly layered guitars, drones, and synth textures in a spacious, contemplative environment that unfolds slowly and delicately, drawing the listener into a refined and immersive electroacoustic soundscape. ... Click to View



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  Moon June 
  2007 Releases  
  (Moon June Records) 

   review by Phil Zampino
  2007-08-29
Moon June: 2007 Releases (Moon June Records)

The New York based Moon June Records has released eight excellent CDs this year, proving again that rock and jazz need not fear each other in the 2000s. Moon June's prevailing artists center around Soft Machine's legacy, including works by the band named just that: Soft Machine Legacy, along with an actual Soft Machine album - Floating World Live - and solo works by Elton Dean & Hugh Hopper. They've also released work by fellow Canterbury guitarist Phil Miller, by the Italian bands Arti & Mestieri, and D.F.A., and the Indonesian band Simak Dialog.

Label boss Leonardo Pavkovik has a great ear for prog influenced improvisational rock, which he comes by from his extensive travels through the world booking and managing artists, including Allan Holdsworth, Soft Machine Legacy, Hugh Hopper, Hatfield & The North. PFM, New Trolls, Colosseum, Jan Akkerman, Gary Boyle, Alex Machacek and Gregg Bendian, &c. &c.

What follows is a brief description of each of Moon June's most recent releases. By this writer's ears there isn't a weak release in the set, and some surprisingly great new music from lesser known artists Jason Smith, Simak Dialog and Arti & Mestieri.


Elton Dean & The Wrong Object
The Unbelievable Truth

Saxophonist Elton Dean passed away in 2006, leaving a legacy that stretched from his work in the early jazz/rock version of Soft Machine to his long involvement in the British Free Jazz scene. This put him shoulder to shoulder with those few who were able to bridge the worlds of rock and serious improvisation, sharing that stage with the likes of Lol Coxhill, Carla Bley or Steve Beresford. In fact Dean started with his foot in the jazz world, but will probably be best known for those few Soft Machine records that he participated in; he continued to collaborate with former Softees throughout his career, including work with Soft Heap, Hugh Hopper and Soft Machine Legacy. An excellent player and composer, he also worked with the London Jazz Orchestra, Roswell Rudd, and Keith Tippett. This Elton Dean & The Wrong Object album showcases both Dean and Wrong Object's guitarist Michell Delville's compositions. "The Wrong Object" is a Zappa reference, and they're known for, though hardly limited to, their interpretations of Zappa's works. Here Elton Dean replaces Fred Delplancq on sax in a live recording at Glaz'art in Paris. It was his first time playing with the group, and due to a series of technical problems, the band was unable to rehearse before the show. You'd never know it based on the performances. The music is remarkably melodic and technical without bogging down in either; there's a bright and fluid quality that's never glib, but refreshingly detailed and complex without sounding like either. Sadly Dean passed away four months later, and plans for continued recording with Wrong Object were cut short there. Thankfully this album exists to document their pontential, making it my pick of the latest Moon June releases.



Soft Machine Legacy
Steam

Steam is probably the most focused upon release in this set of Moon Junes, and for good reason. Hugh Hopper, John Etheridge, Theo Travis and John Marshall have created a masterful record that presents both the dark and light sides of improvised rock with a fusion feeling, but hardly what most would call a fusion record. The album is a journey and then some, over strong pieces that never come off as facile or effusive. Theo Travis' thick sax tone adds a dark quality to the soloing, countered with his fluid flute playing and beautiful soprano lines, while drummer John Marshall prefers the lower end of his drum kit, moving at times into heavy African influenced rhythms. Hugh Hopper provides a solid bottom, using bass loops and 'fuzztonics'. Etheridge's solos are outstanding, well defined expressions that balance technique and melodic development in impressive ways. Compositions come from all four players, alone or in combination, and cover various forms that will appeal to both fans of the 70's Soft Machine and modern jazz listeners. Not suprising given the legacy of each player, and that the band is a serious force live with a busy performance schedule. An edgy and excellent set of tunes from a band descended from one of improvising jazz-rock's finest.



Phil Miller's In Cahoots
Conspiracy Theories

Miller first came to note in Robert Wyatt's post Soft-Machine band, Matching Mole. Since then he's built a great catalog of tunes, particularly with his "In Cahoots" band, which has released 8 albums since 1985. "Conspiracy Theories" is extremely melodic, gentle music without being muzak-y in the slightest way. The Canterbury sound always embraced melody, and this album is the result of decades of playing, listening and composing. No doubt this is a fusion release, but in the best sense, and if all fusion had followed such magnificent form the genre would be less panned by many a listener an critic. The pieces on this CD show some incredibly tasteful, lovely playing over thoughtful and unhurried music from musicians who know how to lay back and say what's on their mind at their own pace. Recommended.



Hopper / Picard
Franklin / Hayward
Numero D'vol

An unexpected release in this set, Numero D'Vol puts Hugh Hopper together with This Heat/Camberwell Now's legendary drummer Charles Hayward, with a front line from European saxophonist Simon Picard, who has worked with Barry Guy and Trevor Watts, and keyboardist Steve Franklin. With a rhythm section like Hayward and Hopper under the production of Hopper himself you might expect something dark and mysterious, and this album delivers. The music unfolds unhurriedly, with Picard's sax leading the way over Franklin's long string tones, over which he also plays piano. Hayward's concentrated drumming is powerful and sparsely ornamented yet always on point, a strong sound over which Hoppers dark and rock-solid bass or fuzz-bass lifts or lowers the music. Picard creates a dense conversational voice, which is offset by the alternately brooding and cheerful playing of Franklin; in fact, the latter's voice keeps the results from the portending darkness that the other three tend towards. A great album of heavy rhythmic music.



Arti & Mestieri
First Live in Japan

Arti & Mestieri make modern prog fusion that somehow crosses the line between early Genesis and The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Technical and melodic, this is a band that makes a joyful and complex sound. Excellent drumming, great sax playing, not the most challenging music but a continuation of that great 70's fusion material done not with respect but with real involvement and passion. In fact, if I had to choose between this and the recent Mahavishnu Project (and I'm glad that I don't have to choose!) I'd go with this, because it's less homage and more down-to-earth heart-felt playing from people who clearly enjoy the genre and want to extend it and keep it modern. All the more impressive because this band stretches back to 1974, with the release of their Tilt LP. First Live in Japan is their twelth release, and documents a live performance at the Club Cittá Kawasaki in Tokyo. Worth the price of admission just to follow the amazing drumming of Furio Chirico.



Jason Smith
Tipping Point

Jason Smith's trio with Gary Husband and Dave Carpenter may be the lesser known of the recent releases, but comes with excellent biographical references. Smith is mostly a West Coast player, who has worked with an extensive set of players in pop and jazz, but is probably best known from his work with Frank Zappa's last "stunt guitarist," Mike Keneally. Gary Husband has played on many of guitarist Allan Holdsworth's best albums, and for good reason: he's a beautiful player with a Keith Jarrett or Bill Evans sensibility, playing melodically on relaxed yet wonderfully ornamented runs. His approach is understated yet graceful and surprisingly complex. Bassist Dave Carpenter has worked with Allan Holdsworth, and also with pianist Alan Pasqua and vibraphonist Terry Gibbs. From all this talent comes a wonderful set of unusual covers of compositions by John McLaughlin, Keith Jarett, Kenny Wheeler, along with one original number from Gary Husband. It's a pretty straight affair, with solid trio work that makes for a remarkably enjoyable record.



D.F.A.
Kaleidoscope

Italian progressive rock revivalists DFA have released several albums since their inception in the 90's, and this double CD reissues their 1996 release "Lavori In Corso" and the 1999 "Duty Free Area," which is digitally remastered with two bonus tracks. The band wear their progressive roots proudly on their sleeve, and the muscular mellotron fueled music and powerful chops of their players recalls Crimson, Gentle Giant, Genesis, etc. Which is not to say that the music sounds derivative; in fact, their compositional skills are impressive, making modern prog that uses the tools of modern rock to their advantage. This is not technique for technique's sense, nor does it pander with theatrical histrionics, but it does use time-twisting changes and impressively skillful interaction. With vocals in Italian and great lead playing the band sounds like it has one foot in the PFM pool and another in a more Hidria Spacefolk vein. A much-need reissue for this band keeping the genuine spirit of the progressive rock movement alive.



Simak Dialog
Patahan

Simak Dialog is an 'electro-acoustic progressive jazz-fusion' group playing live on five extended compositions. No doubt Moon June's leader Leonardo Pavkovik learned of this band in his many travels in the region, and his discovery is our reward. In existence for over 14 years, the band has an ECM fusion feel to it, particularly in the Lyle Mays influenced keyboard work of Riza Arshad, who composes all of the pieces on this album, and in the acoustic and electric guitar work of Tohpati Ario Hutomo. The rhythm is played primarily on the kendang, a Indonesian drum which sounds like an Indian tabla, and fretless bass, with occassional strains of sitar adding to the oriental flavor of the music. The pace is relaxed and melodicaly warm, with some chanting and wordless vocal work on two of the pieces, along with a poetry reading. 'Patahan' translates to 'faults,' and the band quotes Miana Tiara that "it occurs only to protect and to maintain the balance of nature and it is truly an undeniably natural process in order to keep the harmony of the Earth according to his plans." It's hard to find fault with this lovely and accesible record, which balances the sound of the East and West in a harmonius and thoroughly enjoyable release.





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