Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Hamid Drake & Ingrid Schmoliner - Awon Ona [Klanggalerie - 2021]

Awon Ona is a two-CD release bringing together two live set collaborations between American jazz drummer/percussionist Hamid Drake, and Austrian pianist/ vocalist Ingrid Schmoliner. It’s a release that moves between tight and taut improv, more pared-back minimalism with feet in both modern classical and jazz forms, strange warbling and wondering vocal touched pieces, through more bounding 'n' building atmospheric fare

The CD release appears on Austria’s Klanggalerie who in recent years have been releasing more work in the improv side of things. The two discs are presented in a six-panel mini gatefold- this features scrawled black, white and red drawings, as well as texts on the back detailing the contents and recordings of the two discs.  

The first disc in the set takes in a live set recorded in March 2020 at Alte Gerberie, which is located in the Austria market town of St. Johann in Tirol. This first set features five tracks, and these have runtimes between five and twenty minutes.  We move from the angular eerier to the tight bounding of “Igbi” which starts with chiming discordant key hits, and snaking detailed percussion. Moving onto cascading to manic rushes of keys and hissing to darting drums, through to stabbing and rapidly darting mixes of piano keys and detailed percussive runs. We have tolling wonky keys wonder, emotional smarting drums, and awkwardly wavering- yet felt female vocals of “Eeru”. Onto the taut smarting ‘n’ cascading percussion and violently angular key flow of “San”.

The second disc features a set recorded at the Cerkno Jazz Festival Slovenia in September 2020. This is made up of six tracks, and these each run between two and twenty-minute mark. We go from yodelling to  manic female vocalising meets skittering drum runs of “Joidi”.  There’s the unease sawing ‘n’ chiming prepared piano elements, skittering to hissing percussion & warbling vocal trails of “Aago”. Or the tight and stark percussive smarts meets bounding and brash key runs of “Gbogbo Ibi”.

On the whole Awon Ona is a wonderfully varied and daring release, which blends and blurs elements of improv, modern classical/ modern composition, and jazz- for a highly distinctive and unpredictable double-disc set. This is my first-time hearing works from either of these players, and it’s certainly made me keen to hear more of their work- both together & in a solo setting.

Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

Roger Batty
Latest Reviews

Hamid Drake & Ingrid Schmoliner -...
Awon Ona is a two-CD release bringing together two live set collaborations between American jazz drummer/percussionist Hamid Drake, and Austrian pianist/ voc...
190324   Pierre Jodlowski - Séries fo...
180324   José María Sánchez-Verdú - K...
180324   Celer - Cursory Asperses
180324   Burial Ground/ Nights of Terr...
150324   Uncodified - Erased People
150324   The Residents - Secret Show (...
130324   Dagr - Dagr (ltd-theatrical/ ...
130324   Ignaz Schick & Oliver Steidle...
120324   Math - Utterblight
120324   OdNu + Ümlaut - Abandoned Spaces
Latest Articles

Sutcliffe No More - Normal Everyd...
Sutcliffe No More are a British two-piece bringing together Kevin Tomkins & Paul Taylor. Formed in 2021, it’s the spin-off project/ next sonic step...
290224   Sutcliffe No More - Normal Ev...
100124   Occlusion - The Operation Is...
181223   Best Of 2023 - Music, Sound &...
051223   Powerhouse Films - Of Magic, ...
181023   IO - Of Sound, Of Art, Of Exp...
210923   Lucky Cerruti - Of Not so Fri...
290823   The Residents - The Trouble W...
110723   Yotzeret Sheydim Interview - ...
250523   TenHornedBeast - Into The Dee...
050523   Bill Morroni - The Trials & ...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2023. Twenty two years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom