Owl Xounds was a force in underground NYC experimental/improv scene during the opening decade of the 21st century. With anchor members Adam Kriney (drums) and Gene Janas (upright bass) forming a formidable, ferocious update on the volatile free jazz of the 60s, Owl Xounds boasted a star-studded array of temporary members to round out the group: Thurston Moore, Darius Jones, Sam Kulik, Peter Evans and many more. Kriney and Janas made over a dozen records under the Owl Xounds moniker or some variation of that name before eventually breaking apart to pursue other projects in the vanguard.
Their fifteenth release The Coalescence was recorded way back in 2007 as part the recording sessions that yielded 2011’s Splintered Visions but just coming to light now thanks to a 2020 drive by ESP-Disk to quickly get out desirable material for their artists from which they can earn a little revenue whilst riding out the pandemic.
The Coalescence is credited to ‘Owl Xounds Exploding Galaxy’ in recognition of the core duo supplemented with saxophonist Mario Rechtern and a second bassist Shayna Dulberger.
“Distillation” is already maniacal when it begins with only a drums/bass frantic drive, and then Rechtern tosses his incendiary saxophone into the pyre. When the smoke finally clears, (I’m guessing) Janas brandishes the bow and attacks the strings with veracity but also purpose, a spiritual descendent of an ESP-Disk bassist great Henry Grimes.
“Cavernous Ode” is also free jazz to be sure, but this too advances in a linear fashion. The presence of two bassists not only expands the lower end, the combination of the two amplifies the harmonics and sets the parameters for Rechtern’s eventual soprano sax bravura.
Both Janas and Dulberger — one plucking and the other bowing — can be heard coiling up “Aghast At Last” to set up the release carried out by Kriney and Rechtern; the pizzicato bottom keeps that fire contained within a coherent idea. The song circles back to the original state of the bassists simmering, this time with Kriney keeping up the tension.
Make no mistake; The Coalescence isn’t just a good idea to put out now because of the special economic challenges musicians are facing now. This is music that is plenty good enough to justify release at any time. Thankfully though, ESP-Disk made the call to get out to the world a valuable relic from an audacious NYC Downtown band that shouldn’t be forgotten.
The Coalescence is a limited-edition vinyl release but can also be had as a digital download
via Bandcamp.
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