thoughts of trio
by aidan baker I han-earl park I katharina schmidt
Three eminent figures of the international experimental music scene meet here in an unexpected configuration. Aidan Baker and Katharina Schmidt are well-known for their drone/ambient-oriented work, while versatile improviser Han-earl Park is certainly the person one would expect in an improvising trio. Katharina Schmidt performs as a drummer and percussionist, Aidan Baker switches between guitar and bass, while Han-earl Park appears on his trademark instrument, the guitar. Park, whose list of collaborators includes Lol Coxhill, Charles Hayward, Evan Parker, and Pauline Oliveros, has also been called a 'musical philosopher' – perhaps this is the reason behind the 'thoughts' mentioned in the name of the trio and album title.
Recorded live at Morphine Raum in Berlin in February 2024, the album that was edited from the live set actually seems to symbolise – or much rather perform or embody – the thought process of musical creation. Starting from, as it were, isolated raw materials in the form of noises rather than tones, the seemingly disparate elements gradually click into place at some points, forming rhythmic cells, and at some points even chord-like assonances. What really foregrounds the 'thought process' aspect, though, is the way in which these 'dark extemporizations' (Han-earl Park) constantly perform a certain skepticism and doubt regarding their own method. These improvisations never go straight for the 'kill' of power-play exultation, but rather prefer to retrace their steps to hear if there isn't, perhaps, an alternative way of getting from one point to another. Once you get into it, it is precisely this tactic which makes the music of these three people who often think twice one hell of a suspenseful listening experience. An experience in which the listener is constantly faced with the question: will this whole thing hold together till the end, or will it fall apart? Thoughts everybody probably knows from their own life, reflected here in a musical essay.
File under: improvisation
ACU 1080
factory-pressed CD in Digisleeve
Released in 2024
limited to 200 copies
price: 10.00 EUR (excl. postage)
recorded live at morphine raum, berlin 21 february 2024 by rabih beaini
all songs by aidan baker (guitar/bass), han-earl park (guitar),
and katharina schmidt (drums/percussion)
cassette version released by Cruel Nature Records:
cruelnaturerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/thoughts-of-trio
Also available here: http://www.discogs.com/seller/dependenz?sort=price&sort_order=asc&q=attenuation+circuit&st
VITAL WEEKLY
I don’t know half the things Aidan Baker is up to these days. I hear what passes Vital Weekly, but I don’t actively follow everything he does. In February 2024, he played a live concert at the Morphine Raum in Berlin with Katharina Schmidt on drums and percussion and Han-earl Peak on guitar, with Baker switching between guitar and bass. I don’t think I know Schmidt’s work, and of Park, I know he’s an improviser, having worked with Lol Coxhill, Charles Hayward, Evan Park and so on. I see the result here as combining the best these players offer, mood music and free improvisation. For once, the guitar doesn’t rely on many sound effects to generate atmospheric music, but by taking their sounds minor and tapping on strings, without much sustain, rubbing strings and maybe a bit of delay to colour the sound. At the same time, Schmidt freely goes about with a few elements of her drum kit. In the early pieces, it seems as if they are searching for common ground, testing the waters, but as the work continues, I believe I hear Baker doing a bit more of his ambient playing, Park contrasting with his play, while Schmidt remains steady in what she does. Especially the sixth piece (all untitled) works very well in that respect. At times a bit too much free improvisation for my taste, but it worked rather well.
https://www.vitalweekly.net/number-1468/
BAD ALCHEMY
Thoughts of Trio (ACU 1080 / C344, MC) ist ein multiples Dreieck: Als Koproduktion von Attenuation Circuit, Cruel Nature Records und Bad Alchemy. Als Trio aus AIDAN BAKER, dem kanadischen Gitarristen (& Bassisten) in Berlin, dem südkoreanisch-amerikanischen Gitarristen HAN-EARL PARK und der deutschen Drummerin & Percussionistin KATHARINA SCHMIDT. Und, live im Morphine Raum in Berlin am 21. Februar 2024, in der Verschränkung von Ambient Music, Freier Improvisation und Musique-Concrète. Einerseits also Baker, konturiert mit dem Slowcore mit Leah Buckareff als Nadja und dem Trio Tavara, dem für sich sprechenden Hypnodrone Ensemble oder, solo, demabstract shoegazey space rock bei „Everything Is Like Always Until It Is Not“ (Cruel Nature Records) und denminimal ambient drones bei „Pithovirii“ (Glacial Movements Record). Andererseits Han-Earl Park, profiliert mit Catherine Sikora & Nick Didkovsky als Eris 136199 und im Ad Hoc mit Größen vor allem des britischen NowJazz. „Gonggong 225088“ (Waveform Alphabet) entstand im Zusammenklang mit der Saxophonistin Camila Nebbia und Yorgos Dimitriadis an Percussion & Electronics ebenfalls im Morphine Raum. Und als dritter Pol Katharina Schmidt, percussionist, composer, researcher and radio host in Berlin, die schon mit „Echography“ (Flag Day Recordings), ge-tag-t mit experimental, ambient, drone field recording, noise, weird, Aufmerksamkeit verdient hätte, mit Caspar David Friedrich am Meeresstrand, um über Zeit und Sterblichkeit zu brüten. Und bereits auch mit Beats in Wiederholung und Differenz. Mir begegnete sie mit „One Day“ (Midira Records), um hier aber als Schlagzeugerin zu überraschen, mit eigenwilligen Klopfmustern zu gewischten und bekrabbelten Saiten. Dabei sind repetitive Figuren und loopende Klänge ein Wesenselement dieser dreiseitigen Verzahnung, neben ostinater Bruitistik und einer Kommunikation aus Gestik und Automatik, punktuellen und gestrichelten Kürzeln. Die Verlaufsform ist kleinteiliger, bewegter, pointillistischer und scheinbar willkürlicher, als dröhnambiente Shoegazer es erwarten, und das vor allem wegen Park. Die beiden andern sind da eher um bewegten Stillstand und eine Beruhigung durch Monotonie bemüht. Mit summenden, brummigen Drones und metallischem Schimmer zu Tamtam, Getickel, Klingklang und Geknister, was dann doch wieder gut zum Brüten über Zeit und Vergänglichkeit taugt. Propiert es aus, denn „Thoughts of Trio“ liegt dem Abo der BA 127 bei.
www.badalchemy.de
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