Stephen Flinn/Bryan Eubanks-Stephen Flinn/Bryan Eubanks; Public Eyesore Records #159, 2024

 

Initial listening to Stephen Flinn/Bryan Eubanks, the CD from the duo of same names, brought up certain feelings of trepidation within Disaster Amnesiac's perceptions. This on account of the amount of sheer silence that Flinn on percussion and Eubanks on saxophone/electronics utilize throughout the disc's roughly thirty minute duration. Surely these two, with lengthy and impressive c.v. within the Improvised Music world, have produced some raucous music within the span of their respective careers. That said it seems clear that for the documented show at PAS-Berlin they agreed to leave a ton of space in between each musical incident that would occur. This approach can have an effect upon a listener of having been left hanging in space, as I'm sure many others would attest to. Or, I dunno, perhaps this listener just too distracted too much of the time. Silence can be the best mirror to be held up to people at times, this much Disaster Amnesiac is aware of. Again, trepidation from the sounds did occur. The best spot that I discovered for real active listening was within a bathtub. Stilled by hot water and Espom salt, my brain found it easier and even fun to hear the various scrapings and clickings and whispers conjured up by Flinn and Eubanks within a Berlin art gallery in late Winter of 2023. The best advice for interacting with Stephen Flinn/Bryan Eubanks: still your mind, find as quiet a spot as possible, dim the lights and breathe. Its action will certainly not box you about your ears, but it may provide you with a period of peaceful repose from the increasingly insane world that certain powers are intent upon manifesting.