7D Media 2019
The Bill Laswell Mix Translations
Permitting everything, master of aural surprise sheds a different light and shade on tracks which defined 2018 in understated terms.
Groove is something that many listeners of this Zürich group seem to miss out on but it’s something that’s usually there – and that’s what became a common ground for the collective’s dance with a famed American bassist and producer, a link established by “Innerviews”‘ Anil Prasad, a shaker and a mover, with a prospect of giving pieces from their “Vortex” album a new color, if not shape. The results can’t fail to impress, setting a couple of cuts which weren’t transferred to a live release in other space.
The Swiss ensemble’s minimalism is a fantastic canvas for Laswell’s reconstruction experiments, yet at the same time the originals are too fragile and could be easily destroyed in less adept hands, although Bill’s sensitivity has always been spot on. With integrity – one more factor here – intact, the changes may feel subtle, but they draw dynamic picture quite differently. As a result, the melodious clang and meandering suspense of “Monolith” get thrown into sharp relief when guitars’ squeal dissipates to create a flurry of fluttering splinters, while lower frequencies receive a special focus and deepen the overall adventurousness. And whereas the album’s titular number demonstrates a stained-glass-like translucent solemnity, its almost bare rhythm track and cosmic sounds easily lend themselves to fabulous funk without pandering to explicit dub.
It’s a respectful effort to turn groove-spiced glimmer into full-on emotional assault. Many rewarding spins are guaranteed.
*****
