Theo Bleckmann

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Is anyone into him? I noticed Jordan mentioned him on a free jazz thread. I never heard of him before but I just got Origami, which I think is amazing. TB has a pretty phenomenal and distinctive voice, in countertenor (?) register with perfect pitch and mellow tone without ever getting shrill or unpleasant, sometimes singing overtones, sometimes doing breath sounds. I also love what Ben Monder does on guitar on this album. I'm surprised I'd never heard of him before. I like how he subtly incorporates feedback into the soft textures of the album, as well as his melodic solos. Is he bowing the guitar sometimes? The way that jazzy instruments are all sort of melted together in one ethereal ambient texture that can still sometimes bop and flow is really interesting and appealing. It sounds like there's a lot of overdubbing and studio treatment on this, which raises the interesting question of how much is improv/live and how much is pre-composed.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Saturday, 1 May 2004 09:33 (twenty years ago) link

Holy shit, we'd thought the CD was just scratched or something but it's actually designed to skip. It's glitch/drone/jazz:

Vocalist/pianist Theo Bleckmann's primary musical palette consists of wordless vocals atop dreamy impressionistic overtures and buoyant soundscapes in conjunction with a modern jazz style vernacular. With this 2001 release, the artist garners effective support from guitarist Ben Monder, who often provides the airy, counterbalancing motifs along with vibist Matt Moran, who also partakes in the softly stated harmonies and ethereal undercurrents. Bleckmann vocalizes to Johnny Mercer's "I Remember You"; however, the artist indulges in a bit of trickery thanks to a few studio manipulations, whereas the choruses seemingly get mired within the throes of a compact disc player gone awry. Here, the music is strategically paralleled to a CD laser that is perhaps stuck in repeat mode within certain sectors of the track. Monder also provides sustained feedback and windswept sounds in concert with Bleckmann's blissful musings and subtle incantations. The vocalist also sings in German and French, yet for the most part, is a master at insinuating or perhaps cross-pollinating various themes and melodies. Hence, "Ori*ga*mi" is a soothing and rather peaceable affair, abetted by Bleckmann's somewhat unconventional approach and clever articulations. — Glenn Astarita

(at AMG)

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Saturday, 1 May 2004 09:56 (twenty years ago) link

Yeah, I played that track a couple times before I realized my CD player wasn't breaking. The rest of the record is nice too. I got a CDR copy for review when the publication I write for was too young to get promos. I listened to it a couple times, then wrote it off as a bit wussy for my tastes at the time. Then for some reason, a few months later, I remembered the melody of the second track, which is probably the most overtly drony on the album (the vibes and guitar sustains are lovely there) and picked up the record again. Since then I've listened to it, especially the first third of it, a lot on late-night bus trips. I've heard some of Monder's solo work and not liked it much, but I think his playing is very creative and tasteful on Origami, mostly for the reasons you listed. A really nice record - I wish I'd written it up.

― charlie va (charlie va), Saturday, 1 May 2004 18:24 (twenty years ago) link

Hey, do you ever get the skip happening in track 6 also? And to a lesser extent in tracks 4 and 5?

I really listened to the skip tonight.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 00:07 (twenty years ago) link

well... no. Maybe it's taking over your brain!

― charlie va (charlie va), Tuesday, 4 May 2004 04:46 (twenty years ago) link

sixteen years pass...

lol that i never noticed this thread: I've been following theo's work closely for almost twenty years!

Anyway, his new release with The Westerlies is the best new album of the year.
https://thewesterliesmusic.bandcamp.com/album/this-land

― the serious avant-garde universalist right now (forksclovetofu), Saturday, 23 January 2021 22:01 (four years ago) link

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