Ergo

As Subtle As Tomorrow

BY Nilan PereraPublished Mar 30, 2016

6
The surge of sophisticated and intuitive software into the world of music has brought traditionally focused musicians face to face with the infinite possibilities of rhythm and sound. Some have adapted well and some not so well.
 
Brett Sroka (trombone, programming) has chosen wisely in his approach to keep the relationship between the acoustic instruments (with Shawn Baltazor: drum kit, and Sam Harris: piano, prepared piano) simple and balanced.
 
Using real-time sampling and processing through MAX/MSP, the instruments weave through jazz-based textures, contributing to a succinct and thoughtful response from the tech. The musicality of this approach is undeniable, though sometimes the conversation is a little too polite. This is a small consideration, though, when one is aware of how trite this approach could have been.
 
Fans of the ECM sound will identify closely with the subtlety and thought that this music demonstrates, and hardcore jazz fans will just have to accept the fact that great music includes computers.
(Cuneiform)

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