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DEEBBBB — Episode II
(Addicted Label BNiL 760, 2021, DL)

by Henry Schneider, Published 2022-03-09

Episode II Cover art

In 2015 two Russian bands got together to explore improvisational music, Detieti and Evil Bear Boris (IWKC), as DEEBBBB (Deti Eti Evil Bear Boris Big Band). The  result  was the Episode I album that contained two tracks. Not really a regular band, DEEBBBB is more of a collaborative experimental project that has now grown to include the punk jazz band Speedball Trio, for a total of ten musicians (three drummers, three bassists, two keyboardists, one guitarist, and one saxophonist). Plus the music has expanded to incorporate four tracks on their recent album Episode 2. With such colorful and imaginative track titles “Episode 2.1,” “Episode 2.2,” “Episode 2.2a,” and Episode 2.2b,” DEEBBBB presents the next step of their exploration of global improvisational unconscious. Over the course of 80 minutes and four tracks, DEEBBBB displays their improvisational chops. “Episode 2.1” clocks in at 19:27 and for the first twelve minutes is a free form jazz improv that resolves into a melodic riff that is quite enjoyable once they lock into a groove. Then the next three episodes are exactly the same length 21:28, which initially made me question if there was a problem with the album, but no there isn’t.  “Episode 2.2” immediately launches into a rocking jam with a simple bass riff with some dub elements and then what sounds like a steel drum patch. As this improv develops over its twenty minutes, it  starts to resemble Krautrock improv. “Episode 2.2a” is DEEBBBB sans Speedball Trio and “Episode 2.2b” is Speedball Trio alone. “2.2a” is similar, yet different from “2.2,” but is quite close to the ten-man performance, more of the rocking repeated riffs, dub, and bass that began to remind me of Hawkwind’s “Master of the Universe.” In contrast  “2.2b” is back to the free form jazz of the beginning of “2.1” and it slowly morphs into a raucous take on Hawkwind. Definitely one of the better Russian releases of late.

Filed under: New releases, 2021 releases

Related artist(s): I Will Kill Chita (IWKC), Detieti, DEEBBBB / REBBBB, Speedball Trio

More info
http://iwkc.bandcamp.com/album/episode-2

 

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