Kammerflimmer Kollektief
Hysteria
[After Hours/Bubblecore; 2001]
Rating: 5.0
There must be something odd going on in the quiet little town of Weilheim,
Germany. Home to the collective of labels known as Hausmusik, Payola and Kollaps,
the number of groups from this area south of Munich has multiplied spectacularly
in the past decade. To name only a few: The Notwist, Tied and Tickled Trio,
Village of Savoonga, Fred is Dead, Couch, Console, and A Million Mercies. Some
of these bands are better known than others, but each functions within the often
incestuous Weilheim framework. Now we can add Thomas Weber's Kammerflimmer
Kollektief (Shimmering Collective) to that list.
Begun in the late 90s as an electro-acoustic one-man project incorporating
electronic sound constructions into both the rock and jazz idioms, Weber
initially released two limited-run 12" singles for the Weilheim-based Payola
label in 1998 (both of which were collected on their debut full-length,
Mäander, last year). Approximating the free jazz of the late 60's
(John Coltrane, Albert Ayler, and Peter Brötzmann as reference points) and
blending it with traditional rock structures, Kammerflimmer astounded, and
marked new territory for the German scene. Tracks like "Implodiert" and
"Nachtwach" were rhythmically explosive; anchored by Weber's bass and working
around a slow-building hiss of electronics, they would eventually careen into
a climax of ear-splitting dissonance and static. With those releases and
subsequent works-- an incredible remix of Tied and Tickled Trio's "Constant"
and the strictly jazz Incommunicado, which is just seeing U.S. release
this month through Temporary Residence-- Weber carved his own niche within
the minds of a select few record aficionados around the globe.
With this, the Kollektief's third release in a year, the sense of surging
immediacy so prevalent on the initial releases has been abandoned in favor of
subtlety and suggestive soundscapes. Weber expanded the collective to a
six-piece with the jazz workout of Incommunicado, and that lineup
sticks around for Hysteria as well. Clocking in at barely over thirty
minutes, the newest release plays more like an EP. Reserving three of the six
tracks for his solo sonic experiments, Weber plays along with the other members
on three group songs. After just one listen, it becomes quickly apparent that
Weber functions much better on his own than within the group context.
Kammerflimmer begins the album in a haze with the title track. Built around his
electronic treatments and the plucked strings of an upright bass, the lead track
buzzes with Weber's signature sound-- a high-pitched burst of static noise that
weaves in and out of the background. Weber's ability to take inorganic sound
treatments and effortlessly blend them with traditional instrumentation has
been one of the most captivating elements of the music he produces. At times
reminiscent of Scenic's Acquatica, the standout track ("Engel Wacht")
is Weber working solo again. Pulling together the sound of wind chimes, distant
percussion, and (surprise!) sudden but effective bursts of static, Weber
constructs a beautiful track built around mournful guitar playing.
"Seen (Not Seen)" follows the title track and, with it comes the full band's
first attempt at exhibiting their skills (or lack thereof). With very few of
Weber's treatments, the track is contingent upon the unit's ability to coalesce
into a whole. Comprised of alto and baritone saxes, guitar, bass, analog synth
and percussion along with Weber's sound collages, Hysteria's musical
landscape should be comparable to what Weber was doing all by his lonesome three
years ago. Regrettably, on their new release, Weber's acoustic jazz ensemble
rarely achieves anything more than aimless meandering.
The near exception is
"Mohn!" (loose translation: "poppy"), the album's closing track, and the one in
which the group finally proves they might actually be able to bring it all
together into something more than just the sum of their individual parts.
Evocative of urban nightscapes, the track is similar to "Engel Wacht" but
doesn't work nearly as well. Bassist Johannes Frisch lays the groundwork for
the other musicians, but no other player ever steps forward to lead, including
Weber. Clocking in at nearly six minutes, the track finally gets exciting with
about 20 seconds left when Weber's electronically manipulated guitar enters the
picture. And then, as abruptly as the excitement began, it ends.
On Hysteria, it feels like Kammerflimmer Kollektief never really get off
the ground. There's a stark contrast between the tracks on which Weber plays
exclusively and those on which the group plays. The decision to divide the tracks
equally between the two only exaggerates the differences. Much of Weber's solo
tracks are satisfying, but the group's work feels like sonic doodling, never
really quite hitting the mark.
The finest moments, bleak and desolate, stand at odds with Weber's prior recorded
output. Much of the stuff on Mäander brimmed with energy and playfulness
(sheets of static fuzz thrown in with rhythmic, percussive explosions and
fractured saxophone squawks), something desperately needed on Hysteria.
Tied and Tickled Trio keyboardist Andreas Gerth once said, "It's true that all
the music coming from [Weilheim] seems touched by a certain melancholia." Up until
now I could've disagreed based solely on Kammerflimmer Kollektief's catalog, but
now even Thomas Weber exhibits a tinge of that autumnal feel. Unfortunately, the
melancholy that's worked so well for others in the Weilheim musical landscape
renders the Shimmering Collective motionless and uninspired.
-Luke Buckman, October 8th, 2001