4 out of 5

Label: Atavistic

Produced by: Matteo Spinazzè (recorded by)

Throw hard-art rock instrumental we’ll-play-anything-with-anyone-and-bleed-our-souls-into-it trio Zu into a sarlacc pit with free-jazz sax skronker i’ll-play-anything-with-anyone-and-bleed-all-over-it Mats Gustafsson and what do you get?  MADNESS.  (NOT THE SKA BAND.)  Or evil, according to the amusingly fearful (and yet glowing) allmusic review.

Either term stands.

Both acts here have a reputation as, on their own, compositional wizards or, in their frequent collaborations, the sparks that can bring an inspired team up to fascinating heights; on How to Raise an Ox, it’s like a dare to see who can go insane first.  And whether it’s improvisational or planned – there are some grooves here that feel written, but otherwise this seems like free-form – on any given track, the supergroup generally tinkles around with some vague jazziness before the bottom drops out and drums start pumneling, bass starts tearing the speakers apart, and horns start deconstructing the universe.

Some of this is fast and furious, but most of the songs pave their way to a five minute mark or so, surprising from note to note without – thanks to our players’ skills – the thing seeming like a mess.  The musical blitz brings Flying Luttenbachers to mind, but whereas the Luttes, via Weasel Walter, seem intent on burning something down – it’s an attack – Zu and Mats feel… unconstrained.  They can’t help what they do, god save them!

If this sounds exhausting for your earholes, it’s not.  There’s ebb and flow here that slows us down for occasional riffs or quieter exploration.  But for the players, maybe it was, as the sequencing sort of tapers down in the last few tracks.  These are still worthwhile entries, but they’re each peeled back a bit, and they don’t build to anything, rather rattling out at their ends.  Spread across the disc, these would have been great breathers, but collected together (from track 7 – Palace of Reptiles on), it makes the conclusion comparatively less mind blowing.

Though by that point, you’re likely a gibbering idiot – madness is contagious – so perhaps… uh…

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