A Different Aspect #96

The Nubdug Ensemble’s most recent album, Third, was released in November 2024 through CatSynth Records and is a concept piece inspired by Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, or to give it its full title The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Dispel immediately however any notions of lofty mellotron drenched dirges in 15/8 😉 as Third is a rather remarkable journey through a fusion of genres with a vibrant and masterful blend of avant-progressive rock, jazz, fusion, funk and more.

The album opens with Third Overture, a captivating introductory piece that sets the stage with its sparse keys and deep cello… hinting at the drama to come. This leads into But in Ourselves showcasing the ensemble’s ability to create bright, playful melodies that reflect Caesar’s rise to power, with Jill Rogers’ tight jazz-intoned vocals carrying the story-line. Musically it’s a terrific amalgam of hammered percussion, brass and strings all held together by a concise rhythm section – love the bass line. The instrumental Put It by Thrice continues the upbeat vibe, whilst descending bass, keys, electronic percussion underpin Jill Rogers’ narrative of the early decline in Caesar’s fortunes in The Ladder.

As this an ADA review, hopefully the descriptors of the opening salvo of tracks will have be enough to tempt you into exploring Nubdug Ensemble’s Third. A bold and ambitious work that pushes the boundaries of genre and convention. It’s a testament to the talent and creativity of the Nubdug Ensemble, and a must-listen for fans of experimental progressive music.

Spin, the ninth release from Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin, reflects the band’s evolution and continued growth since its formation back in 2001. The introduction of new bass player Jeremias Keller in 2020 brings a fresh dynamic to the group, and he joins founding members Nik Bärtsch on keyboards, drummer Kaspar Rast, and reeds player Sha.

For those unfamiliar with the Swiss quartet, who I’ve seen somewhat lazily categorised on ‘the net’ as ‘contemporary jazz’, misses key elements from their sound. Funk – which gives the music it’s innate, albeit oddly metered groove; Minimal – which brings in their mesmerising cyclical essence; Ambient – which gives the music depth and breathing space. I, therefore, much prefer their own descriptor:

“Originally characterized as zenfunk because of its combination of minimalistic emptiness and highly intensive groove, the band’s style now develops into a kind of nanofunk with even more refinement, details and nuances on the micro level of music making.”

Defining Spin are those aforementioned refinements along with its blend of past and present, creating a sound that is both retrospective and forward-looking. The album also showcases developments garnered from constant touring and their weekly concerts which are now in their twentieth year. Combining both new material and reimagined pieces, tracks like Modul 63 and Modul 66 present fresh innovations, while Modul 70_51 blends new elements with the band’s past works. The re-arrangements of Modul 14 and Modul 23 highlight the band’s ability to reinvent its sound while maintaining its core identity.

Overall, Spin is a testament to Ronin’s dedication to their craft and their ability to innovate while honouring their roots. It is an album that encapsulates the band’s unique sound, combining intricate compositions with spontaneous creativity, making it a compulsive listen…

A quick intro. Ramón Oliveras is a drummer/percussionist, producer and multi-media-artist who I first came across as the main composer for the excellent Swiss ‘groove jazz’ ensemble Ikarus. TPA has covered four of the band’s releases and it was my pleasure to cover their last album Plasma released in 2022.

To the release at hand…

The question posed by Ramón for this, his debut conceptual solo album A Certain Darkness Is Needed to See the Stars. By way of further elucidation Ramón offers a fascinating and detailed insight into those events and his emotions which have triggered this release. Rather than me simply paraphrasing his text I would urge you to check out his Bandcamp page (linked below).

Key to Ikarus’ music are ‘rhythm’ & ‘groove’ and here on A Certain Darkness Is Needed to See the Stars Ramón takes those elements to a new level with a single, nigh on forty minute, percussive piece constructed from ever evolving polyrhythmic patterns. The whole track is performed on “a single prepared drum set (with aluminium foil), without any loops or overdubs”.

With no other instrumentation performed the listener is guided through Ramón’s touching conceptual piece via the medium of rhythm. A Certain Darkness Is Needed to See the Stars has been many years in gestation and the end result is a very personal and absorbing glimpse into the creative mind of Ramón Oliveras.

As indicated in the intro for this ADA round-up, time has not been my friend over the last year or so, however the same would appear not to be the case for multi-instrumentalist Daniel Crommie. Daniel contacted TPA back in November 2024 regarding his latest album, Deciphering The Language Of Bells and kindly sent over Hi-Res audio files and an invitation to review. Six months later and some free time offers the opportunity to write a few words on this album that has enjoyed numerous plays over that period. On the other hand and in the same sixth month period Daniel has released an extended play EP and a new album.

TPA has covered a number of Daniel Crommie’s albums, all of which have received favourable reviews and I’m happy to report Deciphering The Language Of Bells follows that trend.

The album is bookended by two atmospheric tracks, the slightly darker Bells (Prologue) with Gregorian style vocals and concluding with Bells (Epilogue), with lush strings, dreamy flute and chiming bells. Shades of Ennio Morricone perhaps? As the album unfolds Daniel employs his trademark sound – comprising of hypnotic rhythms, laced with electronica and ambient textures, which he then interlaces with his wonderful flute(s) playing, and as mentioned with bells this time around.

I’m always wary of using the term ‘chill-out’ when referring to music as it can often suggest bland or unimaginative, which is NOT the case with Daniel’s music. What is guaranteed with Mr Crommie’s albums is whatever your mood his soothing tones will offer a calming tranquillity, and at a little over an hour that’s exactly what Deciphering The Language Of Bells delivers.

It is strange how you can be attracted to an album simply by the title and without any prior knowledge of the music or the musicians behind it. Such was the case with Aether’s Trans​-​Neptunian Objects, sparked merely by a personal interest in astronomy – and ‘Trans​-​Neptunian Objects’ basically refers to ‘minor’ planets orbiting the Sun at a greater distance than Neptune. Pluto is recognised as the first of these to be discovered.

Aether are an Italian quartet and offer this descriptor as a guide: “… the ether that allows music to flow through these tracks and acts as a medium for a synthesis of Jazz, Ambient and Progressive Rock; merging the musical spectrum with a melodic approach.” Works for me. And, according to Aether’s info the album “… is inspired by science fiction and space travel. The sound of the tracks recalls the suggestion of dreamlike messages sent into space in search of alien listeners.”

My introduction to Aether was Magrathea and musically we have a dark, swirling and atmospheric piece, one that not only captured the essence of the album but also the decline of the ‘Hitchhikers’ planet. The pace is wonderfully restrained with deep growling bass and stately drums forming the solid structure, whilst the guitar broadens the sonic void allowing Andrea Serino’s wonderful synth ‘solo’ to complete the ethereal mood.

In contrast to Magrathea, Neptune is a brisk affair with Teo Ravelli providing the busy drumming, bassist Andrea Grumelli locks in and this time around a more prominent role for guitarist Andrea Ferrari who supplies the jangly rhythm guitar and jazzy solo. Completing the Neptunian picture is Andrea Serinoon’s Rhodes style piano and those analogue(y) sound synths.

Across the album the quartet follow a bold experimental approach merging odd meters, jazz and ambient, with the somewhat amorphous Saturn falling into the latter category. Ephemeris follows on neatly and sees the band utilizing ‘space’ which Andrea Ferrari fills with some tasty guitar, similarly Amalthea, this time around with Andrea Grumelli adding some tasteful fretless. The album concludes with the free flowing, twelve minute plus Sidus, which midway through slopes off serenely into interstellar space…