Michael Fischer & Valentin Duit — Reflection And Passage

Reflection And Passage is an often bluntly hissing ‘n’ crudely baying take on the free jazz form from this Austrian two-piece. It utilizes amplified tenor sax & voice from Michael Fisher, and Valentin Duit on percussion/ drums.

The CD release comes in the form of a four-panel digipak- which features a rather psychedelic colour cloud wash design- green, purple, blue, orange & yellow on its outside. And mainly blue-edged with green inside. Also inside is a short write-up about the album- which it calls radical free improvisation, and a bio of the two players.

It takes in seven tracks in all- these each run between three & nine minutes a piece- with tracks utilizing colour-related track titles.  And the mostly setting here is decidedly abstract, non-harmonic, and crudely scrambling in its intent.

We move from “ Through Purple Tin” with its mix of scuttling oil drum-like clatters, darting cymbal hiss to cascade, and rapidly barking ‘n’ baying sax honks. The track starts off decidedly busy, before shifting to just a loose percussive hack.  Onto “Through Green Chrome” which begins with mysterious longing/ smoky honks and stumbling chalky like drum footsteps. Later on things shift to become more percussive detailed with sudden start & stop clanks, knocks, and clangs.

The album plays out with “Though Ruby Silver”- it opens with a crudely glip-clopping rhythm- which I believe is created by both the horn & percussion.  As it moves on more hiss ‘n’ brush edges are added, as well as moments of muffled/ waving male voice chanting- which feels very primal, and slightly blues-tinged.

Reflection And Passage is an album for those who enjoy their improv to be crude, loose, roughly unpredictable, and often sonically ugly/ primal.