Shebang

Album review

Shebang follows Oren Ambarchi releases like Quixotism and Hubris, which consist of a single continuous piece divided into movements, threading together contributions from an impressive cast of experimental and electronic music luminaries. Less techno-influenced than those two albums, which included appearances from Thomas Brinkmann and Ricardo Villalobos, Shebang falls somewhere in the vicinity of post-minimalism, ECM-style chamber jazz, and Krautrock, with several instruments and techniques suggesting other far-flung genres. Ambarchi's tightly wound guitar playing is central to the piece, and as the arrangement becomes deeper and more intricate, the first few minutes suggest that Ambarchi could keep piling on fractured guitar patterns and build an entire world with one instrument. Gradually, other players enter the picture, with Sam Dunscombe's bass clarinet expanding the atmospheric qualities and Joe Talia's drumming outlining the rhythm. Like the guitars, the drums never settle into a straightforward pattern, as they're constantly mutating and hitting different emphasis points. Master pedal steel guitarist B.J. Cole adds a surreal ambient country dimension to the soundscape, as the guitars get knottier and proggier. The piece blooms even more during the second half, as Chris Abrahams' piano both enhances the rhythm and provides jazzy melodicism, and Johan Berthling's acoustic bass gives the music a nice propulsion. Jim O'Rourke also provides some sharp modular synth sweeps, and Julia Reidy contributes mesmerizing 12-string guitar playing that could easily be mistaken for zither or hammered dulcimer. As dense as the mix gets, it never suffocates, and all of the instruments are allowed to breathe easily. Shebang is an inventive, vibrant work that constantly surprises and uplifts.

© Paul Simpson /TiVo