Exposé Online banner

Exposé Online

Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
Covering music from the fringes since 1993.

Reviews

Spinifex — Undrilling the Hole
(Bandcamp TryTone TT559-103, 2024, CD / DL)

Spinifex — Maxximus
(Bandcamp TryTone TT559-114, 2025, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2025-11-19

Undrilling the Hole Cover artMaxximus Cover art

Spinifex is an avant-jazz group based in Amsterdam, though its members come from various countries. Led by artistic director and chief composer Tobias Klein on alto sax, the membership has changed somewhat over the years. For Undrilling the Hole (2024), the others were Bart Maris (trumpet), John Dikeman (tenor sax), Jasper Stadhouders (guitar), Gonçalo Almeida (bass), and Philipp Moser (drums). The album features seven energetic tracks of unpredictable music that ranges between tightly coordinated arrangements and free-blowing chaos. It’s a superb example of jazz that’s not shy about embracing sounds well beyond the roots of blues, swing, and modal music. You’ll even hear noisy nods to punk rock in Stadhouders’ guitar. Klein’s writing is imaginative and creative, and the first track, “Embrace the Contradictions,” is a bold statement of intent, both in its title and its execution. The trumpet and saxophone belt out different melodies simultaneously while the rhythm section navigates a tricky series of accents that emphasize unexpected notes in the horn parts. It’s like a high-energy RIO band gone jazzy. This album is a winner from start to finish, with each track presenting new ideas.

For 2025, Spinifex is celebrating 20 years of existence by augmenting the core sextet, which has been together since 2015, with three additional musicians: Evi Filippou (vibraphone), Elisabeth Coudoux (cello), and Jessica Pavone (viola). In addition, Stadhouders switches to acoustic guitar, Klein also plays bass clarinet, Dikeman adds bass sax, and Maris brings in a piccolo trumpet. The result is Maxximus, six tracks of even more varied music. While I admit to missing the electric guitar, which provided some of the highlights of Undrilling the Hole, the addition of the strings and the additional woodwinds bring in such a range of timbres that a listener can’t get bored. These tracks are generally longer than on the previous album, with only one coming in under ten minutes, leaving lots of space for the players to go in different directions. The string players are full participants, engaging in the improvisational spirit and not just playing written parts, as is sometimes the case when strings are added to a jazz group. What they give up in noisy intensity, they make up for in breadth and variety. The first track is called “Smitten,” and rather than coming out the gate with horns blazing, Spinifex presents a languid ballad of solemn harmonies that breaks into a kind of free bop for a vibes solo about five minutes in. From there on out it gets pretty crazy, and it’s hard to tell what’s improvised and what’s composed. It’s another album full of interesting music, though I have to admit it’s less immediately engaging than its precursor — it just takes longer to soak in. In any case, both of these albums are very good, and Spinifex is certainly a group that should be in the collection of anyone who likes their jazz to push boundaries.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases, 2025 releases

Related artist(s): Spinifex

More info
http://spinifex.bandcamp.com/album/undrilling-the-hole-2

 

What's new

These are the most recent changes made to artists, releases, and articles.