Ohlmeier, Khroustaliov & Fischerlehner — Hypertide Over Kiribati
The CD comes in fairly thin stock six-panel gatefold- this features what I think are meant to be pictures of weather systems on it’s outside, and on it’s inside grey texts against a white backdrop. Not sure how limited this release is, but I can’t imagine it’s a huge pressing.
The line-up for the album is Lothar Ohlmeier - Bass Clarinet, Isambard Khroustaliov - Modular Synthesizer & Computer, and Rudi Fischerlehner – Drums. It was recorded at Berlin’s keller4 tonstudio in 2018- and features a nicely sharp & slicing production, which enhances the releases more intense moments, yet gives room/ balance to the sonic tools at play.
The album opens with the length and clumsily named “A Simulation Of God As A Hypermassive Security Construct At The End Of The World” – this is the longest track
nearing the twenty-one-minute mark. It finds Fischerlehner & Khroustaliov creating tautly swishing 'n' skittering backdrop of complex/Intergalactic ethnic drum patterns, and burbling- to-robotically tolling electronics. Over this Ohlmeier's horn work moves between mysteriously haunting, to dartingly angular. At times the drums pare back, or reduced in their detail- and here we find nice interplay between hovering siren tones & warbling horn play, at others the percussion elements are in fully jerking & snaking effect with the horn work become more seared & waving in it’s intent. In its last quarter, some rather nicely gloomy & totalitarian like electro bass drags are brought into play, as Ohlmeier shifts out forlorn trails of honks and bays over the top. All in all it's a eventful and later moody track that takes you on a worthy sonic trip.
The second track is "Speed-Rush Cut-Up Shamanic Meat Delirium"- this slides in around the fifteen minutes. The track starts fairly full 'n' busy, getting more & more so as it goes on- to start with we get a net of multi-layered tapping, flicking & bang percussion. Around this grows spinning & whizzing electronics, as well as subtle horn pipes. As the minutes tick by the layers of elements slow-but-surely build & growing- all bringing to mind images of a group of crazed lab workers making some multi-limbed & multi-purposed machine- with more & more limbs, tools, and elements attached. At around the six-minute mark, the percussion mesh starts to fall apart/ lessen- and this opens up things to nicely moodily space-bound & times slightly quirky sparse interplays between the horn & electronic elements, with this galloping sound river of bell-type tones appearing later.
The albums final two tracks are shorter- we have the just under nine minutes of “Omni- Lobster Robotics”, and the two minutes of “F-Wake”. The first track is a playful & quirky blend of scuttling ‘n’ darting percussion, boisterous honks, and darting electronics- before ending on more pared-back though no less playful electro-acoustics. The last track is all about an almost funky pulsing tone, squiggles of static, and clarinet warbling- pity it’s so short really, as I could really see this building up to an almost up-dated & futurist take on Miles Davis electric period.
Hypertide Over Kiribati is a pleasingly jarring and often space-bound journey into electro fired avant jazz/ improv. This trio really play off each other very well to create an enjoyable ride of an album, so let hope there’s more collabs from these guys lined-up.