Inward Traces Outward Edges

Nick Ostrum — Free Jazz Blog — 07.05.25

Inward Traces Outer Edges is the latest release from Thanos Chrysakis and his Aural Terrains label. On it perform label stalwarts such as Jason Alder (in an odd paring of contrabass clarinet and sopranino saxophone) and Chrysakis himself (laptop and synth) in addition to the British trumpeter Charlotte Keeffe and guitarist James O’Sullivan, both of whom have been distinguishing themselves in the London and adjacent scenes over the last several years.

From the first sounds, one notices that this is different from other Chrysakis and Aural Terrains productions. It is busy, heavy on the buzzing electronics and O’Sullivan’s manipulated guitar clink. Then comes the huff and heave of Keeffe and steady bombinations of Alder, as Keeffe switches to strained fanfares over the emerging stormy front. When composed, Chrysakis’ music seems to blend sounds, evoking dark organ music, and relying on singular and overlapped droning for effect. Here, however, the quartet seems driven more by quest for different currents of energy and the potential for new sonic interactions that more open contexts such as this allow. The music smolders with the electro-acoustic intensity of an overgrown field at dusk. Nothing shouts too loud, but the sheer range of textures and timbres evokes that type of vibrant and diverse natural variation. At times, a windy and strained trumpet catches one’s ear. Then, Alder’s low tones and, on sopranino, sharp bites and jaunty (maybe even jazz) arpeggios. Then, the listener’s ear wanders to what sound like muffled voices and electric chains, synthesized drones (this is Chrysakis, after all) and glimmering plonk of the electronics and guitar.

It is strange to hear this configuration of musicians and Chrysakis, an accomplished composer, in such a setting. I have been assured there was no score or direction beyond “Don’t hesitate to linger on what is emerging,” which is such a wonderful and telling instruction. Inward Traces Outer Edges maintains some of the long-tone aesthetics and deep listening that characterize Chrysakis’ compositions. Still, I would not have placed this among his output had I not already known of his involvement. There is just too much clatter, which, in the hands of Alder, Keeffe, O’Sullivan and Chrysakis himself, is a good thing, as they do it with such intention and control, to pleasingly coarse and unconventional results.

Ken Waxman — Jazz Word — 28.April.2025

With a new collection of associates and limiting himself to synthesizer and electronics, Greek composer and sound artist Thanos Chrysakis has created another program of rare and remarkable music. Chrysakis, who over the years has collaborated with everyone from the Hyperion Ensemble to Ernesto Rodrigues, is joined on this five-part work, by three other UK-based musicians. Trumpeter/flugelhornist Charlotte Keeffe leads her own group and has played with Paul Dunmall plus others. Detroit native Jason Alder who plays contrabass clarinet and sopranino saxophone, is in ensembles like Four New Brothers and the Bass Clarinet Quartet. Guitarist James O’Sullivan has recoded with Eddie Prévost among others.

To be honest, although sometimes upfront in the later part of the improvisation, O’Sullivan’s contributions are usually limited to succinct distinct plinks and brief individual frails. Throughout then, the piece’s progress rests on tonal build up from Chrysakis’ electronic instruments which infrequently escalate to surge over the group’s spatial architecture, invariably throbbing and jiggling beneath each sequence, but .sometimes limiting the others’ contributions

That means the contrapuntal balance between reed and brass textures becomes most prominent. Usually playing trumpet, Keeffe builds up from half-valve slurs and inner tube squeals to ascending stutters without losing linear advancement. Meanwhile mostly playing contrabass clarinet, Alder’s basement level split tones reach widening breaths and blustering scoops as a definite foil to the trumpeter’s pointillist strains and mouthpiece suckling.

The horns maintain this intermittent antiphony during the protracted “Part III” and “Part IV” finally combining as the synthesizer’s organ-like washes get louder. Eventually Chrysakis draws back enough so that brass plunger tones, guitar string shakes and sopranino saxophone twitters can be heard. As horn projections speed up with high-pitched brass blasts and low-pitched reed tongue stops and smears become recognizable, buzzsaw voltage oscillations tighten at the same time.

Before fading away, a climax of trumpet puffs, reed flattement and string snaps unite with harsh electronic buzzes to attain a horizontal group drone that confirms the connection and creativity of the program. With this achievement, one wonders what Chrysakis will design next.

https://www.jazzword.com/

Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg — Orynx — 02.03.2025

Les albums produits par Aural Terrains et Thanos Chrysakis proposent autant des musiques de compositeurs « contemporains » que de l’improvisation radicale, chaque fois réalisées en collaboration avec des instrumentistes et improvisateurs Britanniques. Parmi eux, le clarinettiste Jason Alder, ici la clarinette contrebasse et au sax sopranino, la trompettiste Charlotte Keefe, aussi au bugle et le guitariste James O’Sullivan, avec Thanos Chrysakis crédité laptop computer et synthétiseurs. Rappelons que Thanos est aussi compositeur et curateur des albums purement « musique contemporaine » ; citoyen Grec, il vit à Brest en Biélorussie. Inward Traces Outward Edges comporte cinq parties intitulées PART I, PART II jusque PART V pour des durées de 10 :16 – 04 :24 – 12 :42 – 12 :12 – 07 :53. Si les sons des instruments électroniques joués discrètement par Thanos Chrysakis évoluent sous forme de drones et de sons parasites en suspension, James O’Sullivan s’intègre dans le flux électronique avec des effets, de lents glissandi et de minutieuses griffures dans la marge de l’instrument menant parfois à un bruitisme minutieux. On entend d’ailleurs les deux musiciens émettre un faisceau d’ondes collectives s’unissant comme une seule et même voix dont la hauteur oscille interminablement. Par-dessus ces sonorités électriques Charlotte Keefe improvise librement dans l’embouchure en éclatant colonne d’air dans le pavillon. Tout comme le fit autrefois le regretté Wolfgang Fuchs, Jason Alder manie alternativement son énorme clarinette contrebasse et le court saxophone soprano. Durant ces cinq morceaux, le quartet fait évoluer les paysages sonores et les souffles de manière tout à fait avantageuse. C’est un très bel essai d’interactions – juxtapositions de sons, mouvements, effets sonores, bruissements qui mène à la fascinante PART IV. À ce stade, les quatre improvisateurs sont parvenus à une véritable méta-musique, de combinaisons sonores peu soupçonnables, voire rarement ouïes nous entraînant dans une écoute approfondie. Dans PART V , le décor et les effets sonores, l’art de la répétition offrent une toute autre perspective, l’électronique devenant plus prépondérante, forçant Keefe à jouer comme dans un rêve . Depuis le début (PART I) on est passé du terre à terre à une absence de gravitation qui libère l’imagination spontanée dans les PART IV et V. Une tentative réussie de redéfinition de l’improvisation libre sans idée préconçue. Remarquable.