Fringe Magnetic: Clocca

Rating: ★★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

Jasper Høiby (b, elec)
Robin Fincker (ts)
Natalie Rozario (clo)
Kit Massey (vn)
Rory Simmons (t, ky, syn)
Emilia Mårtensson (v)
James Allsopp (cl, bcl)
Andrew Plummer (v)
Ben Reynolds (d)
Tori Freestone (ts)
Ivo Neame (p, el p, ky, cl)
Elisabeth Nygaard (v)

Label:

Loop Records

Dec/Jan/2013/2014

Catalogue Number:

LOOP 1021

RecordDate:

date not stated

If, as reported, this CD is the swansong, the final third album from the Loop Collective and Jamie Cullum trumpeter Rory Simmons’ chamber group Fringe Magnetic, this is called ending on a real high. Unlike previous Fringe albums, this one's influenced more by contemporary left-field Nordic ambience and UK electronica, something that seems to have been infecting more and more of Simmons’ projects recently, one of them being Eyes of a Blue Dog. The vocalist Elisabeth Nygaard, Simmons’ partner on that project, is on two songs here, one with fellow London-based Scandinavian singer Emilia Mårtenssen, resembling her standout contribution to 2013's Kairos 4tet CD, while the London based Andrew Plummer hits a nicely contrasting Nick Cave-like gothic vibe on another. Influenced by contemporary fiction, Simmons’ compositions are marked by Claudia Quintet-type loops and angular polytonality but somehow the ongoing dialogue with improvisation feels more balanced, natural and organic than the two previous Fringe releases and perhaps closer to one of his original models, which was Dave Douglas Parallel Worlds band. On Clocca, Rory Simmons has definitely saved the best to last.

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