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Eli Keszler - Oxtirn Live

Recommended by us on 1st July 2011

Oxtirn Live by Eli Keszler

4...according to our on Thu 30 Jun, 2011.

You all remember the excellent 'Oxtirn' LP on ESP-Disc right??? Well if you partied to that record then get your paws on this storming recording of a performance by the trio of Geoff Mullen, Ashley Paul and Eli Keszler. What these guys get up to really makes the mind boggle with sounds bouncing off of one another in what feels like cacophony but I'm sure is skillfully controlled by the hands of the players. These guys have a sonic arsenal at their disposal; guitars, drums, voice, auto-motorized harps, tenor harp, bass harp, microphones, clarinet, alto saxophone, crotales, etc. and pretty much every hit, strike and pluck is as unorthodox as you can imagine. The result is like the weirdest out there free jazz on planet earth right now. Plus this is probably the nicest looking CD I have held in my hand in a long time. Words are futile.

oxtirn 'live' documents a performance  in new york city, by the new trio of geoff mullen, ashley paul and eli keszler.  following a score by keszler, the group performs on an array of instruments, using three guitars, drums, voice, auto-motorized harps, tenor harp, bass harp, microphones, clarinet, alto saxophone, crotales,  drums and cymbals.  the music drifts in a unique way between a wide variety of sounds, from incredible density of clattering metal textures and string attacks, wall of sound guitars, mechanical music, high pitched saxophone bends and an oddly dim shimmering high harmonic sound.  all creating together, a harsh, jagged and angular wash of ricocheting materials. in other sections, metal and vibrating strings, crotales and horns create a calmer and high contrast atmosphere.   in the end, the music evolves into an area of sustained sound, space and sparse gesture, featuring one of ashley paul's songs and vocals, where the music takes on a new formation, leaving the listener with a question mark, and in some way is a new form of intuitive song. the recording itself is a low fi document with a spacious, raw and aggressive timbre to it, adding to the all ready unique feel of the music.

the packaging is intricately designed with a multi-color silk screen, based on a drawing by eli keszler.  the cd itself is housed in a multi panel, fold-out, metallic paper print with pictures from the concert and excerpts from the oxtirn score, with gold stamping on the outside of the metallic paper.  the cd is attached to a hub which sits on top of liner notes, with an embossed design on the flip.  oxtirn live is a one time special edition of 300 copies.

 

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