its called 1+3+1

check it.. here's a review.. very tight jazzy glitch music.

Triosk Meets Jan Jelinek
1 + 3 + 1
[~scape; 2003]
Rating: 7.3
"Hence the album's titled 1+3+1-- it's a reference to how it was made. He sent us stuff, then we did stuff, then he added the final touches. He did a little bit more editing and production and mixed and mastered it in Berlin."
--Triosk drummer Laurence Pike to Jasmine Critteneden, December 2003, Jazzgroove

Call it The Postal Service II. Triosk is an otherwise unknown Australian jazz trio that liken their compositional approach to the loops and "clever layering of sound" of electronic music. Pike's "he" is Berliner Jan Jelinek, of course, easily one of the most consistent and multi-capable electronic artists around today, and whose Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records Pike once heard on late-night radio and now credits as one of the trio's primary influences. In fact, in the past, Jelinek samples constituted Triosk's primary sound source: live and on record, the trio play controlled improvised sets atop a collection of loops that emanate from a nearby mini-disc; as the loops change, the trio reacts accordingly.

And indeed, 1 + 3 + 1 sounds like a jazz trio not playing alongside Jelinek's material, but atop it. At most times, Triosk overpowers Jelinek's original loops to the point of near-obliteration. Which is somewhat ironic, I guess: On projects such as Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records, Jelinek nominally works with the vinyl physicalities and actual sounds of jazz records, though no one would ever know that jazz was the source material for his clicks and hazy dub atmospherics.

While it's important to an extent to meet the record on its own terms (i.e. Triosk is not simply attempting organic covers of Jelinek tracks, but are using the loops essentially as jumping-off points for their own compositions), Jelinek devotees, of which I am one, may be somewhat disappointed by the great absence of audible Jelinek presence. His minimalism is a compositional one, certainly, and Triosk masters this aspect of Jelinek. That said, Jelinek is not a loop composer in the vein of Philip Jeck or Ekkehard Ehlers; the sounds Jelinek uses are themselves minimal, and the extent to which he can maintain a curious degree of the listener's interest despite this sonic temperament bears witness to his high-horsery. 1 + 3 + 1 is not minimalist jazz; it is loop-based jazz, influenced and produced by a minimalist composer, and then given to a jazz trio with post-rock tendencies.

Of course, with post-rock tendencies comes the very real possibility of tedium via unmodified repetitions, and Triosk falls into this rut often. The agility of Jelinek's builds and collapses becomes apparent in contrast, as Triosk gets caught in a loop and always seems to stay in it a minute or so too long before making their next alteration. Opening track "Mis-Leader", while benefiting slightly from the post-Triosk Jelinek production miasma, suffers from this languor, and to a lesser extent "On the Lake" does as well. The deliberate and hazy "Munmorah", which superficially sounds the most similar to Jelinek's ambient output, lacks the degree of Jelinek's subtle modifications.

That said, there are three tracks on 1 + 3 + 1 where Triosk and Jelinek meet equally, and we finally understand the vast potential for their alliance. "Track 2" is essentially relentless free jazz run through whatever there is of a Jelinek glitch machine. Jelinek slices up Triosk's passionate outbursts, repackages and resequences them across the pan and in and out of a beautifully dusty mix, and in short, there is never a dull moment, a testament equally to Triosk's chops and to Jelinek's fanciful post-production. "Theme from Trioskinek" bears effectively less Jelinek influence, but seems to represent what the trio intended to come of the other tracks, quickly and seamlessly moving from one loop to the next, never staying on one for too long. "Vibes-Pulse" is all build, finding its beginnings in an audible Jelinek sequence, and then focusing on a fantastically reverbed vibraphone loop until Jelinek's stormy cloud reaches supersaturation and dissipates. It's a shame Jelinek didn't have more to do with this record; 1 + 3 + 1's best moments-- when Triosk's wider dynamic and range of possible sound meets Jelinek's agility and degree of subtlety-- are the ones that most clearly betray his influence.

A Jan Jenlinek fan!!

sinisterpentatonic said:

Awsme! I love the cd.. very interesting

double time props for posting this.

hopefully folks will take a listen (hint, hint...folks, take a listen)

it is a very cool album---

as is the entire ~scape label. independent-forward-explorations.

if you wanna sample the grooves, hit up:

www.scape-music.de/flashpage.html

& look under releases. scape 020 is the catalog number.

anyone out here into N.E.W.S. should definitly get into this. all jazz ain't Bluenote.

jazzvibrator said:

word.

There is so much out there I feel that goes unoticed, and im almost positive that any prince fan would dig some of this stuff that goes unheard..

gotta reach..

Sdldawn said:

but for some fuckin-insane reason, most will not bother to check it out.


???

jazzvibrator said:

When I first discovered prince, round 10/11 year ago.. I shut other music out... didnt want anything to do with any other music.. i acted very silly towards exploring.. when the "newness" of all the cd's and boots wore off.. I began to check new things out, and I started gettin deep in the underground/indie scene and actually listenin to some of the best music i've ever heard, and personally some of the stuff out there is "too good" for mainstream to appreciate. Now that ive heard how much amazing music is out there I appreciate prince's ideal concepts even more. Its deep.
[This message was edited Thu Feb 12 22:50:05 PST 2004 by Sdldawn]