Radio Yugoslavia

The Vladislav Delay Quartet blows in! Sasu Ripatti cements his place in the vanguard of post-jazz - or whatever else you want to call the clattering, swooping territory staked out by his VDQ & its kissing cousin Moritz von Oswald Trio (intruding, I guess [though no expert], into a once almost exclusively Norwegian domain thanks to Jan Petter Molvaer, Supersilent/Arve Henriksen et al...) - with a densely vibrant Honest Jon's release that seems to redefine what improvisation with a jazz inflection/infection & an electronic palette might yield.

Below hear the exquisite, wistful Salt Flat, the wry Presentiment & Killing the Water Bed's dark whirls & eddies, as well as extracts from VDQ's loping, sparkling remainder (Louhos & Des Abends notable higlights...).

Blurb: "Vladislav Delay Quartet features an electro-acoustic ensemble with Ripatti on percussion. Other members of the lineup are Mika Vainio, who handles electronics and processing, and live instrumentalists Derek Shirley and Lucio Capece (the latter of whom appeared on Vladislav Delay's 2009 album Tumaa). Those two play double bass, bass clarinet and soprano sax. The album is mixed and produced by Ripatti himself.

“This was the most difficult and challenging record I ever worked on,” admits Delay, who in recent years has found inspiration in producer Teo Macero’s innovative work on Miles Davis’ fusion material. “It remains somewhat raw and natural, even though there are tons of processing and mixing involved. It was also difficult, because everything was recorded live, with spilling between tracks and microphones. And Mika's stereo channel not only had his loops and sounds, but also the processing he was doing on my drums or Lucio’s horns.”

Recorded at the former Radio Yugoslavia studios in Belgrade, throughout one week last year, Vladislav Delay Quartet is an expansive and multifaceted listening experience. In Delay’s scrupulous production, the ensemble’s “raw and natural” interaction finds a deep coherence: the articulation of absolute freedom."

Vladislav Delay Quartet -

Minus Degrees, Bare Feet, Tickles

/ Santa Teresa

/ Des Abends / Hohtokivi / Louhos

(extracts from Vladislav Delay Quartet, Honest Jon's)

Vladislav Delay Quartet - Killing The Water Bed

Vladislav Delay Quartet - Presentiment

Vladislav Delay Quartet - Salt Flat

Photos by sierus (middle) & Luka Knezevic Strika

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