The Revolution Will Not Be Computerized

Naruyoshi Kikuchi's 'Dub Sextet' is a conventional jazz quintet (tenor sax, trumpet, piano, bass & drums) augmented by a sixth member, Pardon Kimura, who is credited as providing the dub. Kimura's contribution seems to entail moments where reverberating echo has been added; others where blooping oscillators come in; and others still where the acoustic sounds break up into glitchy electronic static, etc. It's not obvious to me which, if any, of those effects were applied 'live', or if they were all varieties of studio post-processing. In any case, they strike me more as decorations than as structurally-integral parts of the music.

I wouldn't imagine the album would have sounded radically different if it had been a dub-less quintet performance. The musicianship is excellent: Kikuchi is the saxophonist, leader and principal composer; Shinpei Ruike on trumpet is no lesser player; and drummer Tamaya Honda is terrific, often threatening to steal the show. Pianist Masayasu Tzboguchi and Masato Suzuki on bass both provide one composition apiece, which serve as notable showcases for their playing.

For the less adventurous listener like me, the first couple of tracks are impressive but somewhat challenging free-ish jazz, which, depending on my mood, can either seem bracing or else slightly tiresome. In the second half of the CD there are stronger melodies, and more easily-graspable grooves. One number is named after Susan Sontag; another after the French cinematographer Caroline Champetier. The latter, and the track 'Invocation' that precedes it, are my favourite pieces on the record.

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All Wrapped Up

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