Soul at the Hands of the Machine
Soul at the Hands of the Machine
ASIN: B000063IUB
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
A respected presence in avant-garde jazz circles that include David S. Ware and Rob Reddy, drummer Guillermo E. Brown embraced wild improvisation and electronic techniques to turn this debut solo release into an unpredictable riot of beats. Filtering funk and trip-hop through free jazz ears, Soul largely avoids wonky pretense in favor of lighthearted exploration and supple melodies. The result is something that falls through the cracks of both jazz and dance movements, yet retains an appeal to anyone with a taste for experimentalism. Brown's endless facility with rhythm leads him through bossa nova experiments ("Manganese") and funk-flavored jams ("Das Funken"), though he never goes over the edge into Spring Heel Jack-style jazz-jungle. Instead, he falls back into the ambient wash of songs like "Electro.Prayer.1" and "Basso.Ritmo.Luz" and the chaotic ruckus of "Outside Looking In." Brown sometimes lets self-indulgence seep into the record. Both "AnikuRock" and "Inside the Purple Box" suffer from unnecessary artifice and ill-considered genre melding. But more often than not, the soul of this machine is recognizable, even when it's immersed in layers of digits and silicon. --Matthew Cooke
Soul at the Hands of the Machine,Guillermo E. Brown,Thirsty Ear,Avant-Garde Jazz,Electro,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop
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Soul at the Hands of the Machine
Guillermo E. Brown Manufacturer: Thirsty Ear ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  Avant Garde & Free Jazz
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ASIN: B000063IUB Release Date: 2002-04-09 |
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Amazon.com
A respected presence in avant-garde jazz circles that include David S. Ware and Rob Reddy, drummer Guillermo E. Brown embraced wild improvisation and electronic techniques to turn this debut solo release into an unpredictable riot of beats. Filtering funk and trip-hop through free jazz ears, Soul largely avoids wonky pretense in favor of lighthearted exploration and supple melodies. The result is something that falls through the cracks of both jazz and dance movements, yet retains an appeal to anyone with a taste for experimentalism. Brown's endless facility with rhythm leads him through bossa nova experiments ("Manganese") and funk-flavored jams ("Das Funken"), though he never goes over the edge into Spring Heel Jack-style jazz-jungle. Instead, he falls back into the ambient wash of songs like "Electro.Prayer.1" and "Basso.Ritmo.Luz" and the chaotic ruckus of "Outside Looking In." Brown sometimes lets self-indulgence seep into the record. Both "AnikuRock" and "Inside the Purple Box" suffer from unnecessary artifice and ill-considered genre melding. But more often than not, the soul of this machine is recognizable, even when it's immersed in layers of digits and silicon. --Matthew CookeCustomer Reviews:
An absolute diamond, Genius, Brilliant! Amazing - Wow!.......2003-04-30
Future of Jazz.......2002-04-26
Soul at the Hands of the Machine by drummer Guillermo Brown strikes me as the most successful of the handful of jazz-oriented Thirsty Ear releases. Sounding like jazz meets hip-hop filtered through industrial trance and world music, the music is really uncatagorizable, though eminently listenable (usually--Inside the Purple Box seems a little over the top).
Really, this is quite remarkable music. Maybe too out there for some (perhaps most) listeners, but perfectly suitable of the adventurous.
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