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Eclectic Maybe Band — Cosmic Light Clusters
(Discus Music 188CD, 2025, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2025-03-10

Cosmic Light Clusters Cover art

When I think of the albums by Eclectic Maybe Band, I tend to remember the spaced-out funky jazz grooves. They’re somewhat reminiscent of Bitches Brew, and I really love that sound. I tend to forget that much of the band’s music is far removed from that sound, aiming into sparse territory of long tones and eerie atmospheres. Of course, this range of style is one of the things that makes the group so appealing, and it’s just my preference that steers me to one end of the spectrum. Cosmic Light Clusters features many of the usual suspects for EMB recordings: Guy Segers (bass), Michel Delville (guitar), Pierre Bernard (flute), Catherine Smet (keyboards), Jean-Pierre Soarez (trumpet), and so on, though Segers is the only one to appear on every track, also being the chief composer. Several notable guests appear, like Tatsuya Yoshida (drums), Ángel Ontalva (guitar), and Jimmy Ågren (guitar). The album starts out in very moody territory, with three tracks of somber arrangements largely featuring acoustic instruments evoking mystery and uncertainty, then gradually building over the course of the album. Electronic noises start taking over on “Mineral Is Growing Slowly,” and drums finally make their presence felt on “Calculations at the Space Center,” along with some Magma-like chanting. “Hymnopédie” is an unusual diversion, with sparse musical backing from Seger’s computer and bass, a little violin, and spoken vocal contributions from Cathryn Robson, Eleni Siozou, and Mami Foujita in different languages. This takes us to track 7, “Ordinary Undercover Radar,” where we get our first grooves, with a herky-jerky bass line doubled by piano and marimba, along with Cécile Broché’s violin. That five minutes of energy is followed by the longest track on the album, the first half of which returns to the atmospheric style, before picking up a beat that crosses RIO with funk. The album finishes with a moody vocal track sung by Cathryn Robson. Yes, this album is perhaps less likely to grab you the way Bars without Measures did, but it’s full of excellent writing and beautiful textures.

Filed under: New releases, 2025 releases

Related artist(s): Tatsuya Yoshida, Ángel Ontalva, Michel Delville, Eclectic Maybe Band

More info
http://discusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/cosmic-light-clusters-188cd-2025

 

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