Lothar Ohlmeier & Isambard Khroustaliov — Nowhere

Nowhere is an selection of tracks from a three year collaboration between Lothar Ohlmeier who plays bass Clarinet & Isambard Khroustaliov who handles electronics- sitting somewhere between improvisation, experimental electronics and avant jazz noodling.

The music is sharpe, angular and sometimes atmospheric, as electro-acoustic elements play, rub and sometimes singe against each other. It’s seemingly always on the move either the bass clarinet shifts and puffs, or when it’s trying to paint atmosphere the electronics stretch, bend, patter-  patter and shimmer in the back ground. Or both elements helter skelter together in often jarring patterns. To my mind it offen seems to be trying to cram too many textural elements or sonic ideas in, never settling long enough to be truly effective or convincing. sure both Ohlmeier & Khroustaliov are skilled players but that does’nt make them great composer or sound painters. Certainly there are some interesting elements at play and moments here are quite effective, but there are never whole tracks that work all the way through.

So a debut that is surely played very well but somehow is missing the all important compositional talent, building blocks and sonic passion that sets great improvised music apart from lacklustre sound noodling which sadly much of this falls into.