Composer/guitarist/trumpet player Rhys Chatham is perhaps most well-known for his early guitar-based aggressions, particularly the sonic wall of sound that was “Drastic Classicism.” And though Chatham revisited that composition on last year’s Harmonie Du Soir, the album illustrated how there are multiple sides to Chatham’s work.
For a while now, Chatham has been posting various things he’s been working on to Soundcloud. This bass flute study leans more to his purely minimalist side, with the timbre of the flute reminding me of parts of Peter Gabriel’s Passion of the Christ work.
Listening with headphones, it’s interesting to trace the interplay between the left vs. right melodic fragments. It’s a shame that most folks would grimace at this kind of thing, hoping for some sort of familiar construct to latch onto. Chatham doesn’t provide us with that, instead he leaves us with this slow musical evolution. And couldn’t we use a little more evolution these days?
- Why the Rolling Stones’ Harrowing ‘Gimme Shelter’ is Still Revealing New Depths - November 18, 2024
- How Talking Heads’ ‘Fear of Music’ Opened Up a World of Art and Sound - August 5, 2024
- How Deep Cuts Propelled Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ - June 4, 2024
