Original Silence - The Second Original Silence

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4...according to our Brett on Wed 22 Apr, 2009.

The Original Silence album from a little while back is in on tasty, tasty double vinyl so I guess maybe that makes it the second Second Original Silence? Or the original second Second Original Silence? But then it does make noise so maybe it's the original second Second Original actually noisy pretend Silence? In any case, this all-star cast boasts Thurston Moore, Jim O'Rourke, The Thing, Terrie Ex of The Ex and Massimo Pupillo of Zu so it's got more pedigree than your brain can actually handle, pedigree that delights in building noisy jazz shapes out of sound Lego. The best tunes here take their inspiration from the more out-there areas of improvisational avant-jazz, fusing that outlook with more conventional bassy rock grooves like Ornette Coleman doing Fun House covers with Shellac perhaps. That's the positive, and it's very very positive, but there's the odd patience tester in there for sure.. 'Free' doesn't automatically mean 'good', y'nar? Definitely a recommendation on the whole though and if you were into that Zu album (as it seems many of you were) this pushes that sort of sound into more abstract places. If you're hankering for more reference points Ant is reminded of Borbetomagus and any fans of the harsher Tzadik stuff might want to have a little sniff of the bicycle seat.

"Picture Ornette Coleman sitting in with the Stooges (the old Stooges, that is) as they tear through "L.A. Blues" and you'd be in the neighborhood of free jazz/noise rock/construction noise hybrid Original Silence" (Pitchfork)

Original Silence is:
Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth)
Terrie Ex (The Ex)
Jim O`Rourke
Mats Gustafsson (The Thing)
Paal Nilssen-Love (The Thing, Atomic)
Massimo Pupillo (Zu)

Original Silence was put together by Swedish sax player Mats Gustafsson (known from his work with Sonic Youth, Peter Brotzman, David Grubbs and groups like Diskaholics Anonymous Trio and The Thing among others). Original Silence released their debut album on Smalltown Superjazzz in 2006 to wide critical acclaim. UK`s Guardian wrote a feature where they asked “What happens when you mix the intensity of hardcore punk with the improv spirit of John Coltrane?”. They called it death jazz, and Original Silence the death-jazz supergroup with Mats Gustafsson's insistence that free jazz and pre-punk are "all the same as far as I'm concerned".

Whatever it is, one thing is for sure, its 100% improvised music and its all about total freedom. And now they are back with their second album, easily titled “The Second Original Silence. The band has its roots in the free jazz/spontaneous music of the 60s and punk rock. The 6 musicians are melting together in a cacophony of rhythm and noise. And where the first album was a noise/drone fest, the new album is more rhythmic, edgier, concise and groovy and closer to the 80s no wave. Like a mix of Albert Ayler, James Chance/Contortions, Black Flag, DNA, Sonic Youth and Pop Group.

The album was recorded live in concert on September 28th 2006 at Brancaleone, Rome, Italy by Matteo Spinazze` and Alberto Mattaroccia. It was later mixed and mastered by Audun Strype, Mats Gustafsson and Paal Nilssen-Love at Strype Audio, Oslo, Norway.

TRACKLISTING:

1. Argument Left Hanging – Rubber Cement (7.23)
2. A Sweeping Parade of Optimism – Blood Strea (22.23)
3. High trees & a Few Birds – The Doll´s Reflection (18.31)
4. Crepescular Refractions – Mystery Eye (8.24)

Titles created and inspired by Steve Lacy (1934-2004) and Thurston Moore. Assembled by Olof Madsen.