Whirl And Magnet severs up two improvised tracks for Hammond organ- with the tone of the pieces shifting between jazz & prog rock / kosmische music. The release appears on Discus Music as a CD or digital release- I’m reviewing the former of these.

The CD comes presented in an off-white mini gatefold- on the front cover, we have a mirrored green & pink psychedelic graphic-topped & tailed with the releases title & artist's name. Inside we get a page-long write-up about the album/its recording- basically, it was all played on a Hammond C3 Organ,  which sits in the labyrinth basement of the International Centre for Music in Gateshead.

The two tracks featured here are simply titled Whirl And Magnet- Part one & Part two. The first part comes in at the 17.21 mark, and the second at six minutes shy of the twenty-minute mark. Before I go any further, I’d say you’ll have to have a passion for 70’s prog music to fully enjoy/ get pulled into what we have here. Yes, it certainly leans towards jazz improv as well as classic seaside organ recitals at points, but I’d say the key influence here is the playing of the likes of Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson. So, if you could imagine a jammed-out/ loose session from either of these two after they’ve maybe had a few smokes back in the 70s…you’ll get an idea of what we have here.

Each of the tracks retains a constant-yet-shifting flow. Been built around a mixture of cascading runs, piping climbs, lightly grooving jaunts, and a general blend of weave and sustain. The whole is more about tone & pitch than melody and consistent shape.

I’ve always had a soft spot for 70’s prog, as well as general retro organ playing- so Whirl And Magnet certainly did appeal to me.  However, I think the lack of consistent grooves, melodies, and shape/ structure will only see me return to this when I’m in the mood for a less formal freak-out/ drop into a pure organ-tone workout.