Live improvised music set to experimental film may cause shudders of terror in some, though a glance at the personnel involved in Text of Light’s Rotterdam.1 (Room40) should provide some reassurance. With guitars manned by Alan Licht and Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth) who also indulges in some electronics alongside Ulrich Kreiger’ sax-tronics, DJ Olive’ turntables and Tim Barnes percussion, this single 19 minute piece initially trawls subtly though somewhat aimlessly through multiple the textures before descending into wearied cascades of noise coming from all angles. The experience of the improvisers involved ensures a steady build in this live performance at the 2005 Rotterdam Film Festival. Whilst the guitarists are content to develop slowly upon feedback and Barnes provides a scattergun approach to percussion it is Kreiger’ pitching treated sax work that offers a frenzied element that effectively intermingles with the wailing guitar. Olive meanwhile appears to be offering thick steady bass drones, offering some much needed frequency range to the quintet. It’s always difficult to assess compositional decisions when improvisation is at work, particularly when you are not privy to the visual accompaniment that dictated them, however at about the 13 minute mark the noise clears and almost a rebirth occurs which is both a welcome and unexpected respite. Barnes’ then begins to delicately tinker around with some gorgeous cymbal work and some heavily reverbed sounds begin the build again. However for the next six minutes things remain sparse, never getting close to the density that they achieved earlier yet in doing so really feel like they are creating something new, something more than the sum of their parts.
Bob Baker Fish
