Szun Waves: New Hymn To Freedom

Rating: ★★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

Luke Abbott (syn)
Laurence Pike (d)
Jack Wyllie (ss)

Label:

The Leaf Label

September/2018

Catalogue Number:

BAY 111

RecordDate:

2016/17

Szun Waves brings together Norfolk-based electronica artist Luke Abbott; drummer Laurence Pike, of Australian electronic jazz trio Triosk; and saxophonist Jack Wyllie of Mercury-nominated UK group Portico Quartet. New Hymn To Freedom is their second release and it's an album to lose yourself in. Across six live improvisations the trio create psychedelic nebulas of sound ambient expanses scribbled with plaintive sax melodies and carried along by drumbeats that pad and thrash, as Abbott's synths wobble and fizz and shimmer and fly like streamers. Sometimes these tracks evoke the Buchla synth experiments of Suzanne Ciani. The trio also reference UK producer Four Tet and Alice Coltrane, whose influence can perhaps be heard in some of the harmonies, which have an Indian classical flavour. The haunting, 12-minute title-track, which closes the album, is especially engrossing. It builds from a sparse opening, layering drones, warped overtones and shrill soprano sax and gradually rampingup the tension before melting away. It leaves you wanting more.

Follow us

Jazzwise Print

  • Latest print issues

From £5.83 / month

Subscribe

Jazzwise Digital Club

  • Latest digital issues
  • Digital archive since 1997
  • Download tracks from bonus compilation albums during the year
  • Reviews Database access

From £7.42 / month

Subscribe

Subscribe from only £5.83

Never miss an issue of the UK's biggest selling jazz magazine.

Subscribe

View the Current
Issue

Take a peek inside the latest issue of Jazzwise magazine.

Find out more