Customer Reviews

Infernal Machines

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

i am less adept at this then i would wish, so i am going to quote Newsweek. suffice it to say, this is a hauntingly gorgeous, beautifully and masterly spun web of sound. A+! *******"For a wholly original take on big band's past, present and future, look to Darcy James Argue, a 33-year-old Brooklynite who has composed a batch of manifestoes that draws on past legacies, and adds a little postpunk energy to boot. A onetime student of big-band visionary Bob Brookmeyer, Argue himself seems a natural product of an era in which genres can be shuffled with ease on iPod playlists. Talking with him, you go from discussing obscure Italian serialist composers to indie bands like TV on the Radio. The composer calls his music "steampunk big band," a reference to the niche art movement that fantasizes about modern tech innovations existing in the steam-powered era. That range is reflected--and, more important, is made frictionless--on Argue's debut record, "Infernal Machines." Argue's tunes can command your attention anywhere--no small feat in our media-saturated world. He and his 18-piece Secret Society band pull off the trick by pairing electro-influenced rhythms with fuzzed-out guitars, fearsome horns and chamber-music voicings in the woodwinds. For all this panstylistic erudition, though, Argue's music still swings hard whenever it wants. "Transit" explodes with an elaborate fire that recalls Mingus's "Let My Children Hear Music." The song "Jacobin Club," named after Robespierre's merry band, slinks with the sly wit of "Such Sweet Thunder"-era Ellington, proving Argue is no enemy of history. Listen on headphones, and you can hear a lot of rocklike production layering. Two thirds through "Habeas Corpus (for Maher Arar)"-- a civil-rights ode that's timely in light of the Obama administration's release of Bush-era "torture memos"--the production supports its trombones, stabbing like sirens, with a guitar that chugs ominously low in the mix.

Argue is one of a handful of musical free-thinkers who have found a home on New Amsterdam Records, an upstart label that has been releasing one quality disc after another since its founding. Built around old traditions (mostly classical, and now jazz), each New Amsterdam record also reaches out to the beat-focused worlds of other contemporary music. This is not a condescension to the market, but a reflection of the artists' own desire to knock down genre boundaries. These are albums, says Judd Greenstein, one of the label's cofounders, specifically produced to sound good on an MP3 player during your commute.

Just as Argue brings non-jazz elements to bear in his music, "Now," from Greenstein's NOW Ensemble, imports a catchy inflection to classical forms. One Greenstein composition on that release is titled "Sing Along"--a command that doesn't apply all that frequently to contemporary chamber music. On the whole, New Amsterdam is making a nice little tradition out of breaking tradition. The real question is whether its music will find its way into the hands of hungry young performers in ensembles outside the metropolises. Perhaps local high-school music directors should strike a deal with their charges. Yes, you still have to wear the big-band uniforms or those god-awful tuxes, but with those outfits comes a copy of "Infernal Machines" or "Now." Striking a balance between the old and the new has rarely sounded this good".

Infernal Machines
Honestly, this album doesn't floor me. But for a 34-year-old composer, this is heady stuff. Think Frank Zappa without the silliness, Danny Elfman without the hyperactivity, Gil Evans updated for the new millennium.
Jazz needs this kick in the rear. It's not mothballed history, it's not superficial smooth Jazz, it's not hard-to-listen-to avant garde.
Four stars on a project this ambitious is, for me, a vote of confidence in what's to come. I've seen the band live, and they are already better than the CD, they are evolving that fast. In particular, I love the sax solo by Erica von Kleist on Obsidian Flow. Buy this now, so you can tell everyone else in a couple years, Yeah, I've been listening to the Secret Society all along.

Overview:

Darcy James Argue has made one of the most impressive debuts in recent jazz history. The "secret society" is a jazz big band consisting of 18 members (Erica vonKleist, Sam Sadigursky, Rob Wilkerson, Mark Small, Josh Sinton, Seneca Black, Laurie Frink, Tom Goehring, Nadje Noordhuis, Ingrid Jensen, Mike Fahie, James Hirschfeld, Ryan Keberle, Jennifer Wharton, Sabastian Noelle, Mike Holober, Matt Clohesy, and Jon Wikan). While "Infernal Machines" is first and foremost a jazz album, Argue incorporates elements of rock and electronica to give the CD a ultra modern sound. At times it almost sounds like Pink Floyd. Infernal Machines is perhaps the best integration with electric guitar and a jazz orchestra that I've ever heard. Here Argue is not trying to fit the electric guitar into the jazz orchestra he crafted songs that make the jazz orchestra embellish what can be done with the electric guitar. The use of drums and guitar feedback is simply astonishing. Each song on the CD is five-star and is filled with lots of clever parts. Each song is unique and endearing in its own way, yet the album flows together beautifully as a whole.

Song Highlights:

Phobos: This song is named after the doomed moon of Mars, Phobos. The echoing drums that open this song and the album do a great job of setting the mood. Next, a sad melody of interwoven horns is combined with some subtle guitar feedback. After that the mood swells and a single note guitar line with slight distortion sets in. Around the 9 minute mark the song sounds like it is winding down, and then the electric guitar rips in again. What a start to the CD.

Redeye: Redeye showcases guitarist Sebastian Noelle. Noelle combines feedback, sound effects, and noodling guitar lines to create a dreamy, fuzzy headed, sonic exploration. While the liner notes indicate the song is about how you feel when you are over tired, it could just easily be a soundscape of the red eye of Jupiter. This tune is really out there.

Transit: This song features the trumpet of Ingrid Jensen. While Jensen's playing is remarkable what is really amazing about this tune is the driving pulse of this tune. The combination of the constantly pulsing and pushing drums and killer guitar/horn rhythm line make the song a hybrid jazz and rock tune. The tune reminds me a bit of Black Sabbath's instrumental piece, "the Straightener" from vol. 4.

Jacobin Club: This song has a mysterious, noirish, early 20th century mood to it. The main melody features intertwining airy horn lines, with a descending bass line. This is one of the more traditional arrangements on the CD.

This CD gets my highest recommendation. I can't wait to see what comes next from Darcy James Argue.

Expanding the work of forebears Bob Brookmeyer, Maria Schneider and John Hollenbeck, Darcy James Argue has put together a program of works for the big band that go beyond Jazz. In pieces such as Habeas Corpus, we find the influence of Steve Reich along side rock beats as well as the solo-oriented improvisation associated with Jazz. More than just a grab bag of genres, however, Darcy's music has found a voice of its own. Do yourself a favor and buy this recording, it is just a taste of what is to come from this rising star.

Infernal machine is one of the most fresh , intelligent and full of taste and invention music in my last months music research ....
The music is so free in forms , really well written and played , new in few words . I strongly reccomend it to everyone if you are looking something of new for your ears . I'm waiting for a new one ...... hope as soon as possibile !

Darcy James Argue takes big band music in new directions with "Infernal Machines". The opening "Phobos" has a rock-based rhythm and, along with the next three songs, is very modern-sounding. The writing is such that I don't particular notice the solos -- everything is organic. The ensemble playing is also very tight. Each song thus depends on the writing. After a very good start, the second half is unfortunately not as good, though I still enjoy "Habeas Corpus" and "Obsidian Flow". This disc is pretty good, and Darcy James Argue certainly makes us see he's a talent with more good stuff to come.

Had no idea what to expect here. Started listening on the plane and was simply blown away. An absolutely stunning album.

I am writing this review on my first listen to the disk. Usually I will wait to write a review after a few more listens to allow the music to gel in my mind. With this disk, there is no need. I know for a fact that it will be in high rotation on my "most listened to" stack for many years to come. There is not a single moment of this album that does not floor me. I have heard plenty of big band, even new stuff like Herbert, Kenny Wheeler and Carla Bley. This pushes it to a whole new level. By adding influences from outside of jazz Darcy James Argue has created something entirely new. The only thing I have heard remotely like it is Evan Flory Barnes' large ensemble and the Seattle New Brass Ensemble (both heard live). I hope this is the beginning in a new wave of big band music. Ten stars.

I'd give this 10 stars if I could. Secret Society is the big band of Gil Evans' dreams. The orchestration is creative and organic. The soloists emerge from the harmonic density as if crossing dimensions. The pulse is scrupulously maintained and emanates from deep within the ensemble. This is big band music that is symphonic in reach while firmly rooted in the jazz tradition. It is challenging to the ears but always accessible to those who listen. And listening closely delivers sonic rewards in quantity. Every selection is a finely polished gem. I give credit to Argue for including some of the best female musicians around. Ingrid Jensen on trumpet is impressive and Erica vonKleist performs one of the finest, most intuitive solos I've heard in years on Obsidian Flow, a fluttering, sensuous dance above a churning ensemble rich in color and energy. In short, Infernal Machines establishes a new standard for large jazz ensembles. Get this disc and listen to it with the best headphones you can find!

I took a chance on this album based on reviews and descriptions. I was particularly intrigued by the listing of "Steampunk Big Band" as the musical style. I have found 99% of the music described as "steampunk" completely devoid of any connection - musical, historic or aesthetic - to the genre and this was no exception. While I am no musicologist, I certainly know "big band" when I hear it...and there was none present. In this case "big" apparently means a lot of instruments playing free jazz loudly. Either the artist or the label went to great pains to create packaging and presentation that would appeal to steampunk and retro-futurist enthusiasts. That's as far as it goes. Musically, it's the same, tired, uninspired freeform contemporary jazz - lacking even a nod to the past from which it sprang and falsely claims to reflect. I feel duped.