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Astral Spirits is proud to present the fourth release from the incredible improv collective HMS who have been making music together since 2009. Born as a trio and having since grown to a quartet, HMS have slowly and deliberately created a very singular group sound.
HMS was born from a meeting of Joe Houpert & Nathan McLaughlin (who recorded as Loud & Sad) with Erich Steiger in Baltimore...where they recorded their debut album "Resolution." Since that time they have had releases on Avant Archives and Small Scale Music in 2011 & 2015 respectively.
Whereas their previous releases were born of a particular moment (an improv meeting, a soundcheck, etc) "Tetrad" finds the quartet using the studio to create compositions from improvisation. Both the electronic elements and the acoustic instruments have more room and sharpness. "Retriever" for example builds off of clicks and hums with drums and violin slowly creeping in until they take off into free improv flight. Think Henry Flynt meets Cluster meets Revolutionary Ensemble. Not really free jazz, not really electronic, not really fully improv but someone in the midst of all that you'll find HMS waiting for you. They've been ahead of the game for a while now.
HMS "Tetrad" is out June 23, 2017 in an edition of 150 cassettes with digital download.
credits
released June 23, 2017
HMS is Joe Houpert, Nathan McLaughlin, Erich Steiger & Steve Perrucci
Recorded by Erich Steiger
Mixing and Mastering by Perrucci Sound.
Thanks to Michael Jantz, Raphaël Foisy, Nate Cross & Astral Spirits.
Urgency, groove, tradition, anger, it's all there in this wonderful bass sound. The pieces reveal different aspects each time I listen to them. Feedback, overtones, shifting patterns, lyrical moments, make this a very contemporary and explorative album, while tone and phrasing at times reaffirm the power of the instrument's tradition. livkon
Hamid Drake is utterly unique. Anyone who watches him perform will be in awe of the fluidity of his movements and his rhythmic sensibilities. Both can seem supra-human at times. This is not a collaboration which I would have predicted to even take place, let alone be successful. Just goes to show how little confidence I have in my good fortune.
Mako Sica is “free-rock trio” from Chicago whose members seem to have a very wide palette of tones and musical ideas to draw upon.
This is a melange of spacey psychedelic jazz which repays careful listening. It’s immediately likable. But the more you listen the more you see, if I may coin a phrase. The deeper you go the warmer and more satisfying this mixture of influences becomes.
Pick up this limited edition cassette while you can. Richard Hayes
The new album from electroacoustic composer Jeremy Young is draped in a sense of mystery, tones flickering gently, like an old home movie. Bandcamp New & Notable May 9, 2021