Harmony and Abyss

Matthew Shipp

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 28, 2004)
• Original Release Date: September 28, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Thirsty Ear
• ASIN: B0002VEOOK
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #290,662 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Following up pianist Matthew Shipp's Equilibrium, a breakthrough record in a career of musical high points, was clearly a difficult challenge. And, to be sure, as revolutionary as Shipp's career has been and as much a shift in direction as Equilibrium was, his new disk, Harmony and Abyss is more of an evolutionary record, taking the concepts of Equilibrium that extra step further.


Reconvening the same group of players, with the exception of vibraphonist Khan Jamal, there's a little less of a street groove and more of the neoclassical side to Shipp that has emerged gradually over the past few years. Still, the street isn't far away, as "Ion" combines an anthem-like theme with an urban drum groove. But "Virgin Complex," with William Parker's arco bass and Shipp's repetitive theme, is ultimately developed as a piece through FLAM's judicious editing and sound processing. FLAM's role in Shipp's recent efforts has been debated, but in the same way that David Torn, in the role of producer, has added an aural breadth to some of Tim Berne's recent work, so does FLAM expand upon what the musicians play, giving the whole affair a unique and cohesive vibe.


Even though there are clear shifts on the record "Galaxy 105" is a relatively unaffected free-blowing piece that comes the closest to actually swinging as anything on the disk the entire record has a sense of unity. "String Theory" may be an exercise in industrial sonics, as a dense, jagged rhythm sets the foundation for Shipp's brooding excursions and FLAM's synthesizers, reverse-looping and other textural contributions colour the space, but it is ultimately of a oneness with tracks including "Amino Acid" which also explore more ambience and sometimes emulation of natural textures.


Trying to assess what to call Shipp's recent work is pointless. There are elements of electronica in the timbres, but there's rarely a breakbeat or techno rhythm to be found. Free jazz, sure, as a short piece like "Invisible Light" is unquestionably a completely spontaneous creation. Neoclassical, absolutely, as tracks including the aforementioned "Ion," as well as "Blood 2 the Brain" would demonstrate. And "Abyss," with its rich soundscape, owes more than a little to the ambient precedence of Brian Eno.


But what ultimately makes Harmony and Abyss not only a standout record on its own, but the next logical step in the development of Matthew Shipp's work since the inception of Thirsty Ear's Blue Series five years back, is the way that he integrates these varied elements into a distinctive sound, and how he manages to gradually reinvent himself with every record he makes. Like a memorable journey, Harmony and Abyss is yet another fine stop on a road that has been distinguished with intriguing and challenging landmarks.
--All ABout Jazz

Product Description

"Harmony and Abyss" is the next phase in a journey of discovery, a period of
creative rebirth from an epic career that has already spanned more than two
decades. Matthew Shipp's alliance with Thirsty Ear's Blue Series has been
an evolutional odyssey, a period of great growth and innovation.

With his latest effort Shipp has truly perfected his
own style, drawing effortlessly from free jazz, hiphop,
electronica and modern classical.From
Boards of Canada-esque pastoral electronics to
blazing and phenomenally tight free improvisation,
Shipp has composed with the touch of a
master, seamlessly melding the spontaneously free
with the perfectionist's love of the studio. Even
those who thought that his last release
"Equilibrium" was as far as Shipp could go will be
more than pleasantly surprised.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Electro-acoustic free-jazz trio at it's finest, September 28, 2004

By	Troy Collins (Lancaster, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Avant garde jazz pianist Matthew Shipp continues down the path of electro-acoustic jazz with "Harmony and Abyss." Curator of Thirsty Ear's experimental jazz program, The Blue Series, Shipp is one of the series' leading proponents of combining electronica and post modern beat technology with the classic acoustic jazz tradition.

"Harmony and Abyss" is perhaps his most successful attempt at combining the two seemingly disparate styles yet. His two previous albums from 2002, "Nu Bop" and "Equilibrium" found Shipp and his rhythm section accompanied by guest soloists, this time the core trio is joined only by producer FLAM. The results are more organic and subtle than any Shipp has delivered before. A few tracks are devoid of any electronic tinkering, while some are dominated by sampling technology and studio manipulation. Cuts like "3 in 1" and "Galaxy 105" are pure acoustic piano trio improvisations and wouldn't sound out of place on an old 1960's Blue Note record in the vein of say Andrew Hill or Cecil Taylor. Whereas tracks like "String Theory" and "Abyss" are so electronically augmented and manipulated, that one wouldn't initially think they were listening to a "jazz" album at all, but perhaps instead to a new electronica disc. It's on a more definitive cut like "Blood 2 The Brain" where the electro-acoustic elements merge seamlessly to become a new entity. Driving drum n' bass rhythms contrast with and complement the acoustic piano trio in new and invigorating ways. The predominantly dark introspective vibe is maintained across the whole of the record however, despite the variations in electronic and acoustic sound.

Even more focused and consistent than his previous efforts in the genre, "Harmony and Abyss" sets a high water mark for like-minded jazz musicians to aspire to.