SLAMCD559 Han-earl Park, Catherine Sikora, Nick Didkovsky & Josh Sinton – Anomic Aphasia

‘Anomic Aphasia’ is the third SLAM Productions album by guitarist Han-earl Park (following ‘Mathilde 253’ with Charles Hayward, Ian Smith and Lol Coxhill, and ‘io 0.0.1 beta++’ with Bruce Coates, Franziska Schroeder and the eponymous machine improviser!) and traces his developing project of the intervening three years.

Of this he writes: “Anomic Aphasia documents two New York-based projects: the noisy, unruly complexity of the ensemble Eris 136199; and the interactive playbook Metis 9, a collection of improvisative tactics. Guitarists Han-earl Park (Mathilde 253) and Nick Didkovsky (Doctor Nerve), and reedists Catherine Sikora (Clockwork Mercury) and Josh Sinton (Ideal Bread) render a space of unexpected collisions, weaving orbital paths, and playful discord.”

Han-earl Park: guitar
Catherine Sikora: tenor and soprano saxophones
Nick Didkovsky: guitar (tracks 1 and 5)
Josh Sinton: baritone saxophone and bass clarinet (tracks 2 – 4)

“These five tracks represent two trios, which not infrequently dissolve/resolve into revolving duos. On face value, this is a hugely enjoyable and unpredictable set of free improvisation performances…Monopod is a sprawling, non-idiomatic (and non-repetitive) improvisation of suite-like proportions (27 minutes and counting). Impressive in scale, overwhelming in execution, it’s a cyclic frenzy of fragmented sounds without an ounce of entropy, yet somehow with a sense of clear movement and progression. Warning: close listening can produce altered states…unless you are someone irrevocably wedded to comforting familiarity and resolution, I promise you’ll find beauty in these five fractured pieces.” – Dave Foxall, A Jazz Noise

“This is a strong, long and spirited disc of challenging music where all of the players help determine the direction and interaction. Another great thing about this disc is getting to hear bari sax great Josh Sinton stretching out at length.” – Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery

“Pleonasm, like the others, is abstract but there is something at the nexus of the trio’s playing that remains accessible and captivating. Stopcock is the long burning closer to the album. Back to Sikora, Park and Didkovsky, the trio delivers a fascinating performance that starts with arpeggios and rhythmic picking lending a somewhat metal feel to the introduction. The two guitars play in parallel for a while – some time reaching agreement, other times in friendly competition. When Sikora joins, she delivers a vigorous melody that pulls the track together. Between the four musicians, Anomic Aphasia is a great set of free jazz trio work. Every twist and turn, scrape, squeak and melodic idea contributes to this adventurous and exciting recording.” – Paul Acquaro, The Free Jazz Collective

“It’s all about guitars versus sax. Sax versus guitars. Sax and guitars together. They are challenging and phenomenal works with the musicians playing off of each others ideas…The middle tracks are from an unnamed project which is the “interactive playbook Metis 9″. This may be some type of software designed to show improvisational tactics which the performers attempt. Or maybe not. It is unclear. What is clear is the stunning trio work…A beautiful noise. Free jazz continuing to experiment.” – Naysayer, KFJC 89.7 FM

“At times that playing does fit Park’s “noisy, unruly complexity” description, but when they are in full flow together, their exchanges fit together perfectly and are simply exhilarating, sometimes verging on lyrical.” – John Eyles, All About Jazz

“A pair of trios rather than a true quartet, putting this unlikely lineup together was almost as brilliant as the recording they have produced…An exercise in texture as much as it is in melody, Park, Sikora, Didkovsky, and Sinton don’t just break moulds here – they disintegrate anything that resembles the ordinary with authority and prejudice.” – Mike Borella, Avant Music News

“If you’re looking for guitar that’s great, but “different”, you’ll love what Han-earl and his companions are doing on this improvised set…I’ll tell you right now, though, this isn’t music for background, or listeners who are timid!” – Rotcod Zzaj, Improvijazzation Nation

Tracks 1 and 5 recorded live at Douglas Street Music Collective, Brooklyn on June 5, 2013
Recording engineer: Scott Friedlander
Tracks 2-4 recorded live at Harvestworks, New York City on October 29, 2013
Recording engineer: Kevin Ramsay
Mastering: Han-earl Park

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