Of the many things that make albums featuring John Butcher unique, I believe the most outstanding characteristic is not that he likes to play at unusual venues (caves, water reservoirs, oil tanks…), but rather the fact that every ensemble he plays with is so diverse and incomparable that it allows the listener to hear many different facets of his playing. In an interview with Brad Rose, Butcher said that when improvising, he likes to hear the musician behind the instrument, though it’s not important to him to hear the musicians putting themselves in the spotlight - on the contrary, he tends to seek subtlety. In general, he looks for musicians who have already developed a personal musical style and their own way of playing - something that truly feels like their own. It is therefore almost inevitable that the various ensembles he selects based on these criteria will possess a unique dynamic and sonic world.
One of last year’s best albums was RARE, John Butcher’s duo with French pianist Sophie Agnel, with whom he had been playing quite frequently over the last few years. I especially liked their improvisational rigor and the relaxed, varied, and aleatoric moments. On RARE, I considered the pauses in the music to be the central element; on foams & mesh, it’s different, mainly due to Pascal Niggenkemper (bass) and Ståle Liavik Solberg (drums), because the two of them fill those gaps. Solberg, with whom Butcher has played since 2015 in many kinds of combinations, permeates the improvisation with his bone-dry and at times almost esoteric style, for example when he uses extended materials (especially in the quiet passages of the first track). This is complemented by Agnel’s trills, which she plays from inside the piano. Butcher contributes very delicate bird calls here, while Niggenkemper subtly saws at the very low strings of his bass. It feels as though one is listening to the goings-on in the courtyard of a Tibetan monastery. This can be heard around the 20-mark of the first, significantly longer improvisation on foam & mesh. Such passages contrast with highly expressive moments, in which the rhythm section performs in a demanding and driving manner, but Butcher remains unflappable and employs his entire repertoire - guttural sounds, chirps, tremolos, circular breathing, serial/repetitive patterns, etc. - with casual ease. Only at the end of the track Agnel’s clusters and crescendos, Niggenkemper’s alienated drones and Solberg’s accentuated interceptions tempt him into vibrato-heavy phrases.
The album was recorded at the artacts festival in St. Johann/Austria in 2024 and in the first part of the encore the musicians showcase extended playing techniques, with Niggenkemper and Agnel holding the improvisation together by a somber drone. Then the bass and piano shift imperceptibly into their normal registers, and the piece grows denser, builds in intensity, becoming louder and more concentrated - like a tornado - before dissolving perfectly.
foam & mesh is an extraordinary album, the band is a superb match. They have played only three concerts so far and I think I’m not the only one who hopes that there will be more to come.
foam & mesh is available as a CD and as a download.
You can buy and listen to the album on the label’s website: https://sluchaj.bandcamp.com/album/foam-mesh
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