The Antripodean Collective - Funcall [Extreme - 2008]Funcall is the next chapter in improvised jazz four piece The Antripodean Collective’s heady and angler craft. Offering up 5 often lengthy, complex yet at times strangely skeletal and grim pieces. Where their last offering The Massacre of the egos seemed to start off dense then thin out, Fucall from the start weaves its wares in quite an often sparse manner with an modern classical air surfacing here and there too between the pieces shifting plates. The Colective is once more made up of Scott Tinkler on Trumpet, John Rodgers on Violin , Philip Rex on Double bass, Ken Edie On Drums and Paul Grabowsky on piano and prepared piano elements. The tracks for the most part stay fairly downbeat yet razor shape with violin slashing against slow angular stiletto like pricks of piano, overcast by the trumpet's brooding yet caustic pipes which are all suddenly jarred and stabbed by the drums attacks. Another enjoyable slice of improvisational and angular interplay from the collective, through at times I wish they’d brighten or altered the tracks tone sometimes- because at times it becomes a bit too oppressive, bleak and angular for it’s own good. Never the less if you enjoy hearing skilled, tight and creative improvisers at work this is worthy of your time. Roger Batty
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