Random shot!

 

Butte, MT July 2020. Great signage.

Fabio Rambelli/Dirk Wachtelaer-The Turning Point; Edgetone Records 2024

 

Quite memorable, the first time that Disaster Amnesiac heard the sho, an ancient Japanese mouth organ, on a recording of Gagaku music. I was a student at the time, and professor Richard Kaplan had inspired me to do deep digs into various forms of music from all over the world. Trips to the music section of San Francisco Public Library turned into obsessive searches for any and all available examples of such. Recall sitting in my room within a Western Addition flat utterly transfixed by the otherworldly sounds of the form. So primordial and yet simultaneously modern, especially the tones of the sho. Perhaps Fabio Rambelli had similar initial experiences with the instrument? However he first became aware of the sho, he's obviously spent a great deal of time learning the instrument, and to the delight of this listener, he's documenting his work on releases such as last year's The Turning Point. Over fourteen tracks in duet with drummer Dirk Wachtelaer, Fabio explores the serene and surreal tones that can be coaxed from this magnificent invention of bamboo and free reed. Free indeed is the interplay of the two improvisors, especially the playing from Dirk. His drum kit explorations, using sticks, mallets, brushes, and some sort of rubbing device push Rambelli into areas by turns introspective and cool or wildly expressive; within any of the achieved sonic zones, both evince control and and the willingness to explore the varied modes within which they find themselves. Disaster Amnesiac has heard East Asian ritual music and the Blues, Avant-Garde improvisation and village festival Folk forms. For this listener the sho can conjure up feelings of solemness, and those vibes definitely occur on The Turning Point as well, but there are also zones of abandon and maybe even whimsy that are reached within the interplay of two seasoned improvisors. It's all really nicely documented with clean recording and even mixing and wrapped within a cover that has sumptuous, intriguing art. Fans of adventurous musical blends will want to seek out The Turning Point. Deep stuff here from Fabio Rambelli and Dirk Wachtelaer.

Live shot #155!

 

Collision Stories, Berkeley Arts Festival Building 2015.

RIP David Lynch

 

    "...I think that everything's going in evolution. But it's a slow process and there's lots of places to get hung up and we're in one of those places right now."

--David Lynch, Search & Destroy #9

It was 2006 or '07 when Disaster Amnesiac had a conversation with a dude who'd recently seen David Lynch give a talk. L told me about how most of the time spent during this talk was upon the subject of transcendental meditation. It's known that Lynch was a long term practitioner of the activity. One has to wonder how that practice informed the last phase of his life, his dying phase. It's far beyond me to put forth any more propositions than that though, as regards David's personal journey into death of his body. Disaster Amnesiac would like to say that I've never seen Eraserhead, but have watched Blue Velvet, Wild At Heart, both seasons of Twin Peaks, Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me, Mulholland Drive, and Inland Empire multiple times each and they are all considered by me to essential to a certain way of thinking about art in general and film specifically. Lynch evinced evolution above hang ups. All of these productions of his kick major ass in their own singular ways, and they are all evolution from what he'd done previously. There are people that love his stuff and people that do not love his stuff. I can think of a few that I've known, on both sides of that coin. He was not a magnet for indifference, which is a key signifier for true creativity.

I was told that David Lynch died today. It's not sadness which I feel from that news. It seems to me that somehow Lynch wouldn't have wanted that for people. Sadness is too narrow a spectrum, especially for practitioners of transcendental meditation. His film work is timeless in its own transcendental way, and I know that that work will continue to be appreciated here and probably lots of others places too.

Live shot(s) #154!

 

All shots from Desert Drone show at Wave Archive Tucson, 1/14/2025

Below: Vulture Vault: towards personal melodic invention.

Above: Kelby Clark achieving micro-tones and sub-harmonics through Claw Hammer technique. Out on tour now.

Below: Steev Hise. Utilizing enhanced singing/songwriting for exploration of the squishy sides of self doubt. Electronic fireplace not in frame. 

Many and varied ways in which to achieve the Drone. One hears it or one doesn't. It occurs, either way.
 

Nubdug Ensemble-Third; Catsynth Records, 2024

 

It was only after six or seven spins of Nubdug Ensemble's Third that Disaster Amnesiac was hipped to the fact that there is an overarching theme to the album. According the the band's Bandcamp page, said theme is that of Julius Ceaser's reign within the then emerging imperial Rome. Nubdug Ensemble composer and leader re-posted what I am sure is a very astute bit of writing that compares William Shakespeare's play about Brutus's victim at said page, and I'm sure that it's an intellectual whopper wholly worth reading while one listens to Third. Disaster Amnesiac makes it a habit to not read reviews of releases that I'm currently preparing to enthuse upon, so that piece is unfamiliar to me, at least for the time being. What is familiar to me is the astuteness and clarity of Berry's musical compositions. Any music listener that is interested in enthused harmony, active rhythmic structuring, and melodic invention beyond what is usually deemed acceptable for these compositional elements will find many reasons to dig Third. As with all of the previous Nubdug Ensemble albums, Jason assembled a group of first call players/composers/improvisors for the realization of this current one, and it's no surprise that they do not disappoint; while every one of them deserves mention, and I admonish you to check the list of stellar musicians involved, I will single out guitarist Myles Boisen for his great six string performance and Amanda Chaudhary, who engineered Third really well. That said, there's no one who is not completely kicking ass as they contribute to this release. Third is a damn fun recording that shows Jason Berry to be reaching ever new heights of compositional and performative plateau within his singular musical vision, and Disaster Amnesiac enjoys it from front to back. What a great album Third is! I'm keeping this review short and encouraging you to scroll over to Nubdug Ensemble's Bandcamp page in order to buy a copy for yourself. I'll be heading over in short order to read that review, which will no doubt be much better than mine at elucidating the finer points of Third. Not like that's a complaint mind you. Hit us with more music soon, Jason and your cohort!

Live shot(s) #153!

 Taken at Wave Archive Tucson, 1/8/2025

Below: Grant Beyschau. Microtonal densities and attendant bliss.

Above: Chelsey Lee-Trejo Cecyl Ruehlen Duo. Drone duo conjurations with subtle tonal variations and a perfect landing. Simpatico.