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Thursday, April 2, 2009

Vector Trio - Nomina (CDBaby, 2008) ****

The chances that you ever heard a trumpet-bass-drums trio that sounded like the Vector Trio, are close to nil, because they bring music into new realms. The band consists of Scott Forrey on trumpet, electronics and percussion, Gary Rouzer on bass, bass cello, loops and electronics, and Marshall Hughey on drums and landscape percussion. Totally improvised and highly rhythmic but with (un)clear structure, often repetitive themes, electronic enhancement and distortion, this is music that will please younger audiences too. It is a kind of the-electric-Miles-goes-trip-hop-in-a-cloud-of-noise. It is dark, violent at times, raw, yet strangely attractive too. The good thing about it is that it has its own unmistakable approach. These guys developed an interesting angle to music. They surely have a story to tell. And it's not all violent and abrasive, even in the quieter parts they manage to capture and maintain attention. And keep the same unity of musical vision. Stubbornly. Uncompromisingly. That unity is helped by the similarity of the some of the trumpet phrases in the various pieces, which gives it a kind of suite-like feel and flow. And when the electronics slow down for a minute, and acoustic voices can be heard, it is also clear that these three musicians know how to play their instruments, also without tricks and effects. Not bad, not bad at all.

Listen to an excerpt from "Synochus".

Listen and download from CDBaby.

© stef

1 comments:

scott said...

We'd like to thank you very much for posting this insightful review!

Scott Forrey and Vector Trio