Beautifully captured minimal jazz, without the frills. I think this statement adequately sums up everything about this release. At once gentle, traditional, sparse and yet modern enough to escape nostalgia, The Hearts of Empty stands out as a thing of real beauty, as Dakota Suite put on a masterclass of excellent compositional skill accompanied by a highly nuanced execution.
Beginning with a solo stand-up bass “Easy Steps”, the tone is set perfectly from the get go; the tone is warm and inviting, the instrumentation slightly contemplative and restrained. Taking up where “Easy Steps” left off is “Cataluna”, which begins with the bass revisiting the same melodic and tonal ideas as it’s forerunner, before a beautifully gentle piano softly lays down chordal refrains. Coltrane, this is most certainly not. “Namik” sees Dakota settle into a lulling 4/4, with striking use of the upright as a melodic instrument in it’s own right. Quite often it takes the lead and lets the piano hold down chords in the background. Moving into ballad territory on title track “The Hearts of Empty”, the quality at which this edition has been captured really begins to shine through: every nuance has been carefully preserved. Close miked drums whisper, the hiss of brushes and sizzle of ride cymbal beautifully clear. Just as you least expect it, synths make a startling appearance on “The Ladder”, a gently crafted ambient piece of simple repeated lines. From here on, things become slightly more forward thinking, as reverbs and effects begin making regular appearances. “Eskimo Nebula” sees the return of traditional instrumentation, albeit shrouded in a gentle echo. The percussive work here is a real standout, filling the track perfectly with a sense of space. “Underpowered” begins with drums soaked in effects, before a gentle piano makes it’s way in. The piece fades to a timed silence around halfway though, only to begin again, this time without effects, allowing the track to breathe on its own. “Vermont Canyon Road” is by far the most uplift track, as double tracked drums swirl and crest, raising the energy but never fully letting it fly, as gentle synth strings hold down a soft bedding. “The Black Pyramid” sees swirling tones surround the mix with a mysterious, perhaps mystical tone, as the bass holds a solid refrain. Closing with “The Basin”, a gentle, swirlingly hypnotic piece, Dakota Suite gently fade into silence, allowing you to hit repeat as many times as you need to.
I can’t talk this release up enough. Anyone who could claim to have at least a little taste in music owes it to themselves to track this down. A captivating edition of gracefully elegant jazz numbers pervaded by a deft minimalism. Exquisite.
Nick Giles
