Quartet

Entwining sampled, programmed and synthesized textures with intense and purposeful inflections from acoustic instruments without shortchanging either input, marks the appeal of Un peu Tendre. Made up of Gallic specialists in their respective genres, one half of the prosaically name Quartet is sound art duo Kristoff K. Roll – J-Kristoff Camps and Carole Rieussec – which has specialized in electronic processing since 1990. The acoustic side is filled out by baritone saxophonist Daunik Lazro and pianist Sophie Agnel. Lazro, whose Free Jazz credentials go back to the 1970s with the likes of Michel Doneda, first recorded with Kristoff K. Roll in 1994. Agnel, whose playing partners have included Steve Noble, has worked with the saxophonist since 2010.

Each of the two long tracks weaves French, Italian and English voices murmuring or proclaiming obtuse conversations or particular phrases that are flanged, fragmented and reconstructed by the electronic duo with sounds from Agnel and Lazro. Singly sand together their output ranges from harsh reed snarls and stopped piano key pressure to altissimo squeals from the saxophonist and inner string plucks from the pianist.

This isn’t an aleatoric or either/or situation, however. While the pianist and saxophonist have unaccompanied interludes, most of the tracks’ progression include subtle or stentorian voltage interlacing that includes pipe organ-like drones, tugboat-horn like blasts, machine-processed crackles, buzzes and metallic pings.

Lazro’s splayed and repetitive flattement or Agnel’s intermittent keyboard digs can be contrapuntal responses to harmonized children’ voices or a teacher’s instruction as happens on “Au Départ C’est Une Photo”, the first track. Or in reverse, reed expression moving from corrosive honks and shrills to poetic lyricism plus circling methodical key tolling from the pianist is surrounded by basement drones, synthesized vocal gurgles, feral yelps and aviary whistles as well as crackles and percussive rumbles from Kristoff K. Roll on the same track.

The even lengthier “L’hiver Sera Chaud” displays these similarities and differences with finer details. Noises produced by a sports crowd’s chants is cut off by voltage switching, elevated sax smears and methodical glissandi across the piano’s inner strings. Although renal reed scoops and overblowing and keyboard slaps match the electronics’ hocketing drones and fizz, just past the half way mark, Lazro’s doits and squeals draw back to reveal melodic content doubled by keyboard plinks. The concluding sequence consists of mechanized drones and reconstituted voices fading beneath processional piano chords and a final reed peep.

The session is a four-part collaboration that posits tenderness as well as tension and techniques as its attributes. It should interest both sides of the acoustic/electronic divide.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Au Départ C’est Une Photo 2. L’hiver Sera Chaud

Personnel: Daunik Lazro (baritone saxophone); Sophie Agnel (piano) and Kristoff K. Roll [J-Kristoff Camps and Carole Rieussec] (electronic components)