Matt Bauder and Jason Ajemian - Object3
(Locust)
Locust's Object series was initiated to explore the relationships between sound and objects, a broadly defined theme that could encapsulate a myriad of ideas and connections. Luckily, the vagueness of the series' stated aim does nothing to diminish the musical results, and though the label has reached only the third Object disc, it's easy to see that one may approach each new disc knowing that the results won't disappoint.
Chicago, the focal point of the Object roster, is, predictably, the home of Object3's protagonists. Saxophonist Matt Bauder and bassist Matt Ajemian meet on their back porch to create a subdued canvas of extended tones with a bit of a twist. The disc's lone track, the thirty-minute "Normal" begins with Bauder blowing tender, hesitant tones from his sax, and the deep arcs of Ajemian's solemn bowing. These quiet, elongated, and minimalist expositions by both musicians sometimes interact straightforwardly, augmenting one another, while, other times, the intersect at unexpected angles, though the results are surprisingly smooth. All the while, crickets and the ambient sound of the evening provide a beautiful backdrop for the musicians.
At some point close to the middle of the disc, however, the beuatiful duet encounters a new turn in its sonic path. During the initial half of the performance, minidisk recordings were made and track-marked by a few of those in attendance, and these cut-up recordings, set on shuffle, are allowed to enter into Ajemian and Bauder's slowly simmering stew. The addition of the two extra voices, thankfully, doesn't crowd our heroes, but, instead, adds a third layer of ambience to the music. The long tones become thicker and more vibrant, with the sounds of Ajemian, Bauder, and their recorded selves combing at certain sonorous moments to create luxurious ribbons of sound that, no matter how thick, always retain a bit of transparency, a product of both the musicians' restraint and their expert sound creation.
Object3 continues the Object series in fine form, as quiet as any of the three CDs, and with the most concrete ties between the music and the object on the disc's cover (Object3 features a minidisk). If the rest of the series continues to impress as much as this disc has, a formidable task since EKG's Object2 is an equally enthralling album, Locust Music could have a bevy of classics on their hands.
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