For decades, saxophonist Don Dietrich, with his trio Borbetomagus, has crafted a distinctive sound through unbridled improvisation that embraces dissonance and has little tolerance for silence. His daughter, Camille, is a classically trained cellist with her father’s penchant for fiery spontaneity. Together, they perform and record as the Dietrichs. No Badhu is their third release.
Consisting of four free improvisations, the set showcases the pair’s adventurous creativity and their seamless synergy. Even when they unleash a relentless flood of jarring melodic shards, they exhibit perfect camaraderie. On the title track, Don Dietrich lets loose screeching wails while Camille Dietrich weaves a dense, percussive sonic backdrop. As this riotous repartee continues, the music ebbs and flows with fury. It then transforms into an exploration of the harmonic limits of the instruments. The duo, individually and together, push the boundaries of extemporization to an exhilarating effect and conclude on a relatively quiet note.
Throughout the recording, in addition to the dynamically changing sonic structure, there are also vibrant emotional shifts. On “No Cones” there is a mix of melancholy and angst that Camille Dietrich expresses with her mournful and fervent bowing. Don Dietrich’s distorted saxophone squawks add a sense of foreboding to the piece. The distorted din of the duet laden with a melange of sorrow and unease spills into “No Bones” and becomes significantly more piqued and more passionate. Although the latter is a hard task to achieve, the performances throughout are quite intense and vehement. So much so that one can almost visualize the bell of the saxophone glowing like an ember and the strings of cello smoking.
No Badhu is definitely for open-minded listeners. Like all art, it may cause some discomfort among its audience, yet those who surrender to its storm will find much reward in its gusts of rage and crackling electricity.
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