German analogue synthesizer player Thomas Lehn reveals the nature of his music to listeners of improvisation through numerous projects and recordings; he's made albums with Marcus Schmickler, Keith Rowe, Ingar Zach, and he's a member of KONK PACK and MIMEO. It's the same with Austrian Franz Hautzinger, who uses quatertone trumpet and has collaborated with Mazen Kerbaj, Axel Dörner and founded Regenorchester. In the presence of these two companions, Bertrand Gauget, a French saxophonist (soprano and alto), appears as a somewhat mysterious figure. Close Up is just the second album from this instrumentalist, an active live performer for ten years now. He plays his music with, among others, Frédéric Blondy, Pascal Battus, Martine Altenburger and Michel Doneda. The last name can be considered a landmark because, even though nobody exhibits duplication, Gauget presents a similar approach towards the saxophone. On the reviewed album, released by Polish label Monotype, we get to listen to three long episodes, recorded during two encounters with Lehn and Hautzinger in January 2007 and February 2008.

Listening to these pieces, composed entirely by this threesome, brings to mind a visit to an amusement park. In order to experience every attraction and give each offered ride a try, one must get carried away, throw oneself into the whirl, leave all complaints and fears at the entrance, and forget all the "Oh my, look how high this is!" and "Gosh! It spins way too fast!" You should expect vertigo and an accelerated heartbeat, but at the same time an ocean of astonishing sounds in exciting combinations is provided to the listener of this album. Right off the bat we realize that the amusement park we get to explore is rather atypical. Perhaps it has been built on the remains of a factory - there is clearly an assembly line running parallel to the rollercoaster. The production taking place doesn't meet any standards, and its end result questions its future utility, as well as bothering and worrying the listener with the look of the final product. Here it is: a metallic structure consisting of a tangle of twisted, intersecting pipes equipped with small, vibrating motors that cause the whole framework to rumble as each section forces the infestation of the others with growing violence.

The music on the album is flexible and thick, resilient and fluid, especially in the first section. The second act comes in as sort of a breather, but massive drones at the beginning suggest the performers won't be giving up on the malevolent atmosphere just yet. This part bustles as it evolves; it is still mechanical in its own way, but with the contribution of something organic. Perhaps an accurate analogy here would be the rasp of herbs being pounded in a mortar; the last piece, taking up almost half of the album, emerges as an arduous, laborious and listless drilling of the earth. The late-appearing trumpet seems to suggest that a layer of natural resources has been depleted. The composition also surprises with distinct rhythmic fragments (there were a few in the first track but they were scrupulously hidden). It's awkward to talk about a beat in this case, but I was wondering whether the trio were aiming at a Plastikman cover, and a little later, if they were maybe inspired by COH.

It's not easy but, as one of the best albums of the year, it is worth the effort.

(translated by Maciej Janasik)

Piotr Tkacz
October 6, 2009