Mette Rasmussen • Julien Desprez « The Hatch » // Avant Scena, Contemporary Music Blog

“The Hatch” is out now on “Dark Tree Records” label. Album was recorded by a duo – Julien Desprez (electric guitar) and Mette Rasmussen (alto saxophone). Two different cultures, individual styles and absolutely different streams all joined together – that’s how it would be possible to describe the music of this duo. Here meets three jazz streams – European, American and Scandinavian avant-garde jazz and the main elements. The modern and innovative playing techniques, the newest tendencies of experimental jazz, fresh and ambitious conception of Scandinavian avant-garde jazz and the roots of American and European avant-garde jazz. Julien Desprez is excellent improviser based on Paris. His improvisations are based on European and American jazz styles synthesis, as well as it has an influenze of rock and avant-rock jazz styles. Musician is searching to new forms, explores unknown zones of sound and get on frantic, crazy, extraordinary and fascinating experiments. He had played and collaborated with such great jazz masters as Charlie Haden, Mats Gustafson, Jeanne Added, Edward Perraud, Stephane Payen, Guillaume Orti, Benoit Delbecq, Tortoise, Han Bennink and the others. Mette Rasmussen is great and talented Danish saxophonist based on Norway. Her music is totally based on free improvisation, the synthesis of Scandinavian, American and European avant-garde jazz. Fluent, sharp, expressive, sometimes even – aggressive, frantic, furious and wild – playing style is based on attractive, inspiring and moving playing manner and driving, hypnotising and suggestive sound. Improviser played with Alan Silva, Chris Corsano, Ståle Liavik Solberg, and with her Trio Riot.

“The Hatch” filled with expression, drive, intense and vital sound. Two musicians are improvising on their own, but gently fit together. They always react to each other’s playing and give immediate, spontaneous and impressive reponses. Sparkling and flowing riffs, dizzy passages, especially rich and colorful pattern, all kinds of ornaments, factures, abbreviations and coloristics, and effective, especially expressive playing manner, are the main keys of these compositions. Dynamic, intense and powerful improvisations are mostly played in vivid and expressive mood, which is connected to silent, abstract, contemplative and lyrical tunes. Musicians succesfully manage to create rich, gorgeous, illustrative, imaginary and dynamic musical pattern. It has many layers, which are independent and contrasting with each other. Solid, effective and driving melodies construct polyphonic facture. All kinds of rhythms, strange sounds and special effects contain intense and just impressive rhythmic section and gorgeous background. Musicians fuse together their own ideas, stunning experiments, special effects, experimental, innovative, traditional and usual playing techniques to the one place and make inventive, inspiring and fantastic instrumental section. Saxophone’s melodies by Mette Rasmussen are the burst of energy, vigilence and drive. Expressive, vital, driving and intense melodies, roaring, tremendous, furious and frantic riffs, blowing and frenzy blow outs, moving trills, dizzy passages, gorgoues and colorful ornaments, sudden changes and perturbating, persecuted and explosing bursts of energy – all these elements are gently combined together. They meet lyrical, soft, abstract and silent free improvisations who are dedicated to experiments on various textures, explore new sounds and extract strange and peculiar tunes. Dizzy passages, charming, light and extremely rapid solos, ornaments and all kinds of textures are strong and effective coloristics. Growling, buzzing, cracking and vibrant solos bring more affection and drive to the music. Saxophone’s melodies give the main tune to the melody line, as well as dictate intensive, vital, powerful and thrilling mode of whole album. Sharp, strict and quadratic riffs, dynamic melodies, strange tunes, peculiar timbres, extravagant decisions, ambient sounds, vivid and frantic culminations are the keys of electric guitar’s improvisations by Julien Desprez. Terrific, powerful, tremendous and frenzy culminations, expressive and dynamic melodies, sudden turns, bright contrasts, individual compounds, passionate and flowing solos, complicated and aggressive rhythms or persecuted breaking and furious sessions – all these elements are the main part of these improvisations. Both musicians get on brave and tremendous adventures, stunning experiments, searching to new, extravagant, eccentric or simply crazy ways of playing, modern expressions or dreamy, calm and lyrical pieces. Their music is a piece of cake to listen – it has interesting, innovative and expressive sound.