Expansive pianist and composer Olly Chalk has been on the contemporary improvised music scene in London for a number of years, often collaborating but always searching. Here, for In Those Remote Stars, he has drawn a quintet around him of like-minded individuals who bring a sense of bubbling adventure to his eleven compositions.
The piano is whimsical and Olly clearly has the sort of mind that settles briefly on a motif before twisting it into unexpected shapes, launching it like a paper dart at the guitar and flute who add their own squiggles before hurling it back. The percussion has a degree of eccentricity which is charming and forceful, and on opener “Sanctity” seems to offer a sense of freedom from the martial structure of the piano.
There is something in the shapeshifting structures that is reminiscent of Tortoise; but here, things are crammed into short, succinct passages where electric guitar flourishes constantly evolve and the flute adds a distinct pastoral wildness compared to the piano. Flute and percussion lend an Eastern slant to “Zenjo” and you feel all the players are given carte blanche to dictate the direction, but without tripping over one another. Space is at a premium, but they move around effortlessly, often warmly enveloped by the bass as the drums scamper in a new direction, finding a groove and dragging the piano along. They certainly squeeze a lot into a short time frame, with some pieces around the three-minute mark and a couple buzzing off in a minute or so. The title track is a slower, more melancholic piece, the piano leading flute and sustained guitar along a mountain pass, percussive textures threatening the narrow ledge; and this sense of disappearing over the edge or switching back to plunge the opposite way is ever-present.In Those Remote Stars contains two separate recording sessions and the second half of the album contains pieces captured a year later. “Critters” has a sturdy drive to the rhythm while dark piano and playful synth poke at one another, reflecting the other’s opposites as the guitar and flute flutter, acting like a tag team but with no idea who is going to cede control. The piano appears more restless in the measured confines of “Hush”, scattering jazz notes like confetti, the flow a personal rush capturing off-key moments with bass and drums reflecting that excitement in stuttering fills and deep murmuring runs.
The sweetness of the flute is irresistible and works well against the lugubrious nature of the bass on “Pathfinder” and the kaleidoscopic swirl draws activity from all as they are given free reign to disperse. The unexpected nature of each piano motif means that the album is always engaging and the short, sweet but busy nature of the group means each piece acts as a portal to a different place.The album ends with what feels like their own take on a Latin rhythm, but the synth tone and the hyperactivity soon pushes it in another direction. There is such joy in the playing that it feels as though it could last for twenty minutes and perhaps that is the secret to In Those Remote Stars. Everything bubbles up, pops, disperses and then re-engages in a heartbeat and the music gives something fresh back with every listen.
-Mr Olivetti-
