Modulus III - Modulus III

by Adrian Janes

published: 1 / 3 / 2018

Label: Modulus III
Format: CD

Improvised music from post-jazz electronica Bristol trio Modulus III which makes little impression

Review

A trio of improvised tracks by an improvisatory trio, ‘Modulus III’ is as beguiling or offputting as that summary suggests. Fragments of melody and rhythmic elements emerge at times from keyboards, drums and cello, but the fascination or frustration of these pieces lies in how fleeting they are, like finding a bunch of keys in the dark then dropping them again. Opener ‘Waiting for Network’ begins with a high whining synth and keyboard drone. Shards of a Fender Rhodes piano and skittering, brushed drums take over, along with a synth note which oddly resembles a Steve Reich vocal pulse. Drummer Matt Brown switches to sticks, and while not approaching anything as crass as a groove, his work and Dan Moore’s Rhodes motif does begin to give the piece some tension and force, until it eventually peters out in cymbal strokes and a melancholy synth. It proves the most coherent of the tracks. ‘Diego Says Hello’ offers a lot of percussion rattling and repeated electric piano chords, with the added attraction of bowing and scraping from cellist Drew Morgan. In fairness, the drums once more build up to become more insistent and dynamic, though the piano remains repetitious. Think a darker vision of 1970s jazz-rock. A siren-like synth sets off ‘Joyce’, before melting into other eerie tones and more percussion rattling. Drew Morgan’s cello is much more fluid, set against harsh synth notes and a slow build-up of percussion. But although the siren sound returns and the cello is thrust at more and more feverishly over the percussive clatter, there is once more a sense of the music reaching a plateau from which it never truly takes off. The album was recorded live in Bristol, and there is a smattering of applause at the end which confirms that some people really enjoyed it. Perhaps you had to be there. I wasn't.