They've been around for over ten years, so Jazzkammer (or, on this release, Jazkamer) aren't exactly the young Turks of noise, yet it's hard not to consider this summit with Portland, Oregon stalwarts Smegma as an intermingling of young and old, and, relatively, I suppose it is. Smegma, who commenced their assault on music in 1973, have experienced a resurgence in activity as of late, as their stature as some of weird music's hallowed elders has brought pilgrims to Portland to pay homage to, and record with, the Smegma crew. On a recent American jaunt,Lasse Marhaug and John Hegre stopped by Smegma studios, with adjunct Jazkamer member Carlos Giffoni in tow, to record a session with Ju Suk Reet Meate and crew. The result is Endless Coast, a disc that finds Smegma's distinctive aesthetic ruling the day.
Jazkamer have always been a flexible group, not tied to any one sound or approach, but their contribution to Endless Coast remains surprising. The vibe is decidedly tipped in Smegma's favor, with improvised streams of acoustic and electric instruments engaged in a mix of sparse, damaged psychedelia and a queasy vein of alien free jazz. Endless Coast is thirty-five minutes of ominous simmer; the music hints at something most foul, but rarely bubbles over in the chaos that one might expect. Crescendos come and go quickly (excepting the finale of "Heavy fog," perhaps), but they're swallowed amongst the murky haze of the music. Only when "Carnivorous Bog" erupts in a small bit of mutant surf does the disc feel as though it has truly come to an apex. The ramshackle approach that has always been Smegma's is taken heartily; ideas explored and paths taken are abandoned at a moment's notice, and ingredients too numerous to list are combined at random to create a monster of ever-shifting proportions. Whereas others make noise in stunning waves of sheer sonic assault, Smegma have always done so with a more handmade brand of black musical magic, and Endless Coast , and be it a deference to their elders, or simply getting caught up in the spirit of the session, Jazkamer is under the Smegma spell.
