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Polwechsel: Archives of the North
ByBy 2004, however, both groups had disbanded, leaving a hole in the European version of onkyo. The members continued to work, of course, but for followers it was something like the Stones had broke up at the same time as the Beatles. Sure, we still had the Kinks, but...
Happily, Polwechsel, originally formed in 1993, has returned with its third lineup and fifth release, one every bit as strong as its excellent, sometimes hard to find predecessors. The group's founders, cellist Michael Moser and bassist Werner Dafeldecker, remain, as does saxophonist John Butcher, who replaced trombonist Radu Malfatti in 1997. The five tracks on Archives of the North (ranging from five to fifteen minutes) are immediately recognizable as Polwechsel soundsustained, breathy scrapes and tones punctuated very occasionally by discrete bass occurrences.
But the surprise this time, with the departure of guitarist Burkard Stangl, is that the group now has two percussionists. For such a soft and abstract ensemble, drums would seem a detriment, but Burkhard Beins and Martin Brandlmayr approach the group with an orchestral sense. There are more abrupt moments here than on previous discs, but then Revolver was hardly Beatles for Sale, either. The group has grown in breadth and dynamicand for the better, if only because sitting still is never an improvement.
Track Listing
Datum Cut; Mirror; Core Cut; Magnetic North; Site And Setting
Personnel
Burkhard Beins: drums, percussion; Martin Brandlmayr: drums, percussion; John Butcher: tenor and soprano saxophones; Werner Daveldecker: double bass; Michael Moser: cello, computer.
Album information
Title: Archives Of The North | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Hat Hut Records
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June 2006