Shiver

Situated midway between the mesmerizing improv of bands like The Necks and the spacey soundscapes of Rock jam bands, this ad-hoc quartet adroitly blends elements of each to maintain consistency throughout this disc’s single extended track. Shiver, with electric bassist Andy Champion and drummer Joost Hendrickx, benefits from the experience of its third member, guitarist Chris Sharkey, who also plays with Charles Hayward, as well as working as a producer recording, remixing and mastering sessions for various musicians. One of those in keyboardist Matthew Bourne, who bolsters his usual approach with the likes of Laurent Dehors by playing memory Moog as well as his more usual acoustic piano.

Dramatic foreshadowing with keyboard clips, percussion smacks and ascending waves of tremolo electronics, within minutes establishes a pliable groove of bass pulsations, drum paradiddles and guitar flanges that judders throughout the improvisation. Fluid, and with horizontal motion, the oscillating form is a constant sonic backdrop. Because the foursome is definitely not a Rock band, contrapuntal asides occur though. These mostly encompass pedal-pushed and knob-twisting guitar flanges, emphasized tremolo whirls from the electronic keyboard and, unsurprisingly, distinctive acoustic piano asides.

Solidified with shivery pedal-steel-like echoes and hearty drum ruffs as the piece widens, background voltage throbs retreat enough for a duet of drum rim shots and strong electric bass stops and later a similar blend of accelerated guitar frails and piano key stopping. Vocoder-like mumbling and watery burbles from the bass and guitar wrap up the section, with the piece climaxing as piano pedal point and drum beats wriggle the interpretation back to the initial theme which fades away in an electronic-induced haze.

Taken as a whole, sounds are just hypnotic enough to pulsate freely, but nimble enough to not mask animated solo contributions. The session also makes one wonder just how admirable and/or distinctive Vol. 2 will be.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Shiver Meets Matthew Bourne Vol. 1

Personnel: Matthew Bourne (piano, memory Moog); Chris Sharkey (guitar); Andy Champion (electric bass) and Joost Hendrickx (drums)