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This Celestial Engine — This Celestial Engine
(Discus Music 166CD, 2024, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-03-14

This Celestial Engine Cover art

Many of the releases we’ve covered on the Discus label have been pretty far removed from rock and jazz, delving into very abstract sounds and unusual textures. This Celestial Engine is a bit more accessible than many of those albums — while the music is largely improvised, the players remain within the confines of relatively conventional idioms. The group consists of keyboardist Roy Powell, who has extensive jazz credentials as well as groups such as Mumpbeak and InterStatic; bassist Dave Sturt, whom we’ve encountered with Gong, Jade Warrior, Bill Nelson, Steve Hillage, and more; and drummer Ted Parsons, whose career started with Swans and includes Killing Joke, Bill Laswell, Buckethead, and many more. The three are highly attuned to each other, working smoothly from atmospheric floating moods to really nice grooves that might bring to mind recordings from the David Sylvian or David Torn orbits. Sturt’s fretless bass is one of the defining factors, whether it’s soaring in expressive melodies or laying down tasty riffs. Parsons handles the free sections nicely, and isn’t averse to just laying back and grooving when that’s what the music calls for. Powell utilizes a wide variety of instruments for his part, from acoustic piano and organ to electric piano and an array of synthesizers. He is technically quite capable, but his playing doesn’t conform to jazz or rock standards that call for flashy runs or arpeggios. Further enhancing the sonic range of the music, both Powell and Sturt are credited with a variety of electronics and “weird shit.” The five tracks, only one of which is under ten minutes, flow so well, with such a captivating journey, that they don’t seem nearly as long as their actual running times. This Celestial Engine is a very enjoyable album, and I hope that these three musicians can find it in their schedules to get together again for more.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): This Celestial Engine

More info
http://discusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/this-celestial-engine-166cd-2024

 

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