Moment's Notice
Reviews of Recent Media
John Butcher
The Very Fabric
Hitorri hittori-964
John Butcher + Pat Thomas + Dominic Lash + Steve Noble
Fathom
577 5914
Max Eastley + Terry Day + John Butcher
Angles of Enquiry
Confront Core 34
It takes a batch of recordings issued contemporaneously to be reminded of the scope of John Butcher’s work – one alone only documents part of it. The Very Fabric, Fathom, and Angles of Enquiry make a strong case for this, as each is distinctive and can easily be recommended. Chances are that Fathom, a quartet date recorded at Café Oto, the Birdland of improvised music, with Pat Thomas, Dominic Lash, and Steve Noble (a line up analogous to the bands Blue Note and Prestige assembled on an almost daily basis back in the day), and issued on 577, perhaps the most prodigious label in this field, will gain the most notice in the US. It is a thoroughly engaging set, one that moves through high-contrast environments at a brisk pace, packed with surprises. Butcher’s precision in placing a glint of texture here, a roar of intensity there, and a well-sculpted line where you least expect one, is unerring. He has a lot to work with, and he responds to the brilliance of Thomas, Lash, and Noble, with equal speed and clarity. Fathom will probably be widely hailed as one of the year’s best improvised music recordings.
However, after living with all three for a week or so, Fathom becomes a bit overshadowed by the other two. The Very Fabric is the latest installment of Butcher’s solo work in resonant spaces. Recorded in unlikely settings as a hollowed-out Japanese mountain, a Victorian mausoleum, and long-empty, enormous oil and gas storage tanks, these performances are among Butcher’s most important, as they radically alter the negotiations with the moment intrinsic to improvisation. For this 2022 recording, Butcher travelled to the suburbs of Copenhagen to play in the Brønshøj Vandtån, a decommissioned hundred-year-old water tower. At 34 meters in height and 20 meters in width, the concrete structure is smaller than most of the spaces Butcher has performed in; but, between the specific sonic properties of the space, and his accumulated knowledge of how to meld these characteristics with materials, Butcher has produced one of his most compelling recordings. His mastery of enveloping vivid timbres and giving the space the time to let his materials saturate like delicately applied watercolors produces washes of sound that are frequently astonishing. There is a difference between an engaging recording and one that keeps listeners on the edge of their seats. The Very Fabric is clearly one that does the latter.
John Butcher, Brønshøj Vandtårn 2022 © 2023 Thomas Buhl-Wiggers
Max Eastley is one of the more intriguing figures in improvised music; more acclaimed as a visual artist whose kinetic sculptures mediate the tension between natural environments and human intervention, Eastley’s presence on a recording is always sufficient reason for investigation. He never fails to contribute iridescent, otherworldly sounds, often on handmade instruments. Employing an electroacoustic monochord, Eastley’s palette rivals Butcher’s. Their ability to create blends and contrasts with each other is central to the six improvisations recorded at Iklectik; however, it is the current supplied by Terry Day’s deftly understated drumming that gives the music a distinctive propulsion, and, at times, clearly triggers Butcher’s capacity for high-energy playing. Like The Very Fabric, Angles of Enquiry (issued in a limited edition of 100 copies) may require a more ardent search than Fathom to procure – all three are worth the time and effort.
–Bill Shoemaker
