Monday, March 11, 2013

Hardcoretet, Do It Live, EP

From the adventuresome Pacific Northwest Coast label Table and Chairs comes the interesting fused quartet Hardcoretet and their EP Do It Live (T&C 016). They come together on this offering with some lively well-composed, well played music.

The group comprises Tarik Abouzied on drums, Art Brown, alto sax, Tim Carey on electric bass and Aaron Otheim on keyboards. Each contributes a composition, Tarik two.

It's spirited, rhythmically shifting, rock underpinned ensemble music that falls nicely into the torque and substance contemporary mindset and gives you plenty to appreciate.

It's not as much about improvisation (although it has some very respectable moments in this zone) as it is about ensemble complexity. But it gets at it so well that you don't feel a lack. Tarik's drumming sets the ball rolling and can be listened to profitably in its own right. He's good.

In fact it's pretty darned kicking in a sophisticated way. If you like the idea of a kind of Zappa-meets-Tim Berne-meets Soft Machine approach, this will get to you. Even if you don't.

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