“Another solid opus from BK&S with splendid minimalist structures adorn of the best tones instruments can put between ears avid of tones”
1 An Imprombtu Item 42:00 2 B-Wave too 9:24 MRCD 8009
(CD/DDL 51:24) (V.F.)
(New Berlin School)
A new album from Broekhuis, Keller & Schönwälder is always an event in the spheres of EM of the Berlin School genre. The trio has been successful since The Annazaal Tapes in 1999, seducing audiences with minimalist music which sits on a plethora of intrusive melodies, ambient layers, suspended mist and adjacent rhythms for the pure pleasure of music lovers. Because here, apart from the beautiful music of BK&S, the sound aesthetic is at its height. LIVE AT THE B WAVE draws its inspiration from the now prestigious B-Wave Festival held in the city of Heusden-Zolder, Belgium. This one was on November 14th, 2015 and the German trio had interpreted then a long title, B-Wave Live Session, that he had distributed in the form of USB key during this festival. B-Wave Live Session has turned into An Imprombtu Item with a digital remaster.
Its opening consists of sound graffitis, distortion effects and an organic dialect which unite their differences into some layers of voices and of mist. It's the dialogue of amphibians which forms the first sketch of rhythm. Cawing in a line of oscillations, this rhythm is submerged by intense layers of synth floating vertically with a lot of clarity and strident particles in the tones. And that's where you have to hear the details. Splendid, this line of rhythm is embroidered with various elements, and their tones, which enchant the ear. Thus, pulsations and pulsating effects get grafted in order to form a more fluid rhythm which follows the shape of the moderate gallop of a horse neighing on rails. Keyboard riffs and percussion plunge in this structure which slowly undulates under the bites of good synth solos. A subtle transformation takes place, giving a more robotic essence to this rhythm which is now tremulous like this robotic rhythm of Kraftwerk in TEE. Effects and electronic babble continue to jump with the rhythm while synth pads add a ghostly vision with eerie chants hanging in garden of mist. An Imprombtu Item loses its rhythmic markings around the 18th minute before recovering it under an avalanche of anesthetic fog, solos with contrasting tones and sound effects which add either to the rhythm or act as a decoration a bit psychedelic, respecting so the spirit of this festival. B-Wave too was performed during a rehearsal for the 2017 B-Wave. Always following the art of minimalist music from Broekhuis, Keller & Schönwälder, the music is more focused on its rhythmic aspect. So, percussions and especially a very active sequencer, which rolls its keys like the fingers of Chris Franke did in the era of the digital sequencers, are on the menu of this title which remains just as attractive in its flawless sound aesthetic from BK&S.
Sylvain Lupari (February 2nd, 2019) ***½**
Available at Manikin's Bandcamp