Universal Congress and Jason Kahn


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Universal Congress Of, 6.5/10
Prosperous And Qualified, 7/10
The Sad And Tragic Demise , 6.5/10
The Eleventh Hour Shine On , 6/10
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Gli Universale Congress furono uno dei fenomeni piu` eccezionali dell'hardcore degli anni '80: invece che ispirarsi ai Ramones o ai Sex Pistols, si ispirarono al free-jazz di Ornette Coleman. Inventarono cosi` un genere "punk-jazz" che fondeva violenza punk e improvvisazione jazz.

Sciolti i Saccharine Trust, nel 1984 Baiza era stato invitato da Ginn (Black Flag) a suonare nell'album totalmente improvvisato degli October Faction (Chuck Dukowski al basso, Bill Stevenson alla batteria e Tom Troccoli al canto), registrato dal vivo nel 1984, fra tribalismi funk (Todo Para Me), piece dissonanti (Trail Of Tears), baccanali "beefheartiani" (Ten Hour Drive e It Don't Mean Shit) e lunghe jam psichedeliche (Bad Acid).

In quell'esperienza, e nelle session per la registrazione in studio del successivo The Second Factionalization, Baiza ebbe modo di sviluppare il suo stile chitarristico in maniera ancora piu` fortemente ispirata al free-jazz, ma al tempo stesso condizionata dalla sua nuova passione: il blues. L'idea di Worldbroken, l'album registrato in presa diretta dai Saccharine Trust, venne in effetti dopo che Baiza ci aveva gia` provato con gli October Faction (e quello rimane il disco in cui Baiza e Brewer hanno modo di esprimere al meglio i loro straordinari talenti, a prescindere dalla qualita` del materiale).

Dopo lo scioglimento dei Saccharine Trust (novembre 1986), Baiza formo` subito i Latino Baby Jesus con il batterista Jason Kahn (ex Leaving Train ed ex Cruel Fredrick, un altro combo jazz-punk), un bassista e un altro chitarrista. L'album, dominato dalla sterminata jam Certain Way, venne comunque accreditato agli Universal Congress Of (SST, 1987). Baiza e Kahn poi reclutarono il sassofonista Steve Moss (che aveva gia` partecipato agli ultimi dischi dei Saccharine Trust) e il bassista Ralph Gorodetsky per formare gli Universal Congress Of.

Prosperous And Qualified (1988) e l'EP This Is Mecolodics accentuano l'influenza di Ornette Coleman e dei chitarristi della sua scuola, come James Ulmer e Ronald Shannon Jackson (vedi la violenta Joey sul secondo). Prosperous e` un'opera al tempo stesso complessa e godibile, che alterna temi comici (quasi una banda marciante in Dancing On Plato's Tomb, quasi un'orchestra da circo in Love Camp) a jamming intricati (L.L.Kook). La matrice non e` soltanto jazz (anche se quella e` la sostanza, dal bebop scalmanato di Spreadin' The Malice al jazzrock incendiario di Stepback), ma anche blues, presente nelle sue varianti sonnolenta (Stovetop) e nevrotica (Igor's Blues).

La maturazione definitiva venne consacrata da The Sad And Tragic Demise (Enemy, 1990), opera ormai decisamente jazz, tanto quanto i maestri a cui Baiza si ispira: forte di una sezione ritmica rinnovata, il chitarrista ha modo di sfavillare anche laddove (come al solito) il materiale e` debole e anche laddove non resiste alla tentazione di cantare. Brani come Freight Train e Uh-Huh mettono in bella evidenza il contrappunto fra il lucido e deviante chitarrismo del leader e gli interventi rhythm and blues e funky del sassofono. A differenza di John Lurie, altro rinnegato del rock che ha abbracciato il jazz, Baiza conserva l'accento hardcore anche quando parla altre lingue, e lo si sente in Pickled Bullhorn, quadriglia sgangherata con Elliott Sharp all'altra chitarra. Il disco e` infinitamente meno geniale di Prosperous And Qualified, ma e` una vera delizia per i palati fini.

The Eleventh Hour Shine On (Enemy, 1992), con la terza sezione ritmica in altrettanti album, confermo` lo stato di grazia di Joe Baiza (chitarra) e Steve Moss (sassofono), con quell'ibrido di jazz e punk sempre piu' vibrante e solare, lontanissimo dalle atmosfere grige e anemiche dell'avanguardia newyorkese. Lo spirito straccione del punk immette nuova linfa in un genere che i bianchi avevano finito di dissanguare con il free jazz. In questo disco i due leader abbandonano le pose radicali a favore di un sound snello e corposo. Per altro sono aumentati i debiti verso i classici jazz, da Charlie Mingus (l'Ambition Blues) a Ornette Coleman (le fanfare gioiose di Baby X e Instigators). I ritmi del funk e dell'hip hop vengono assimilati senza traumi (Full-Bodied Naked Hug). Il nuovo forte di Baiza e Moss sono pero' soprattutto i temi melodici: se Gaetasaurus e 3 And 4 sono radicati nella tradizione dello swing, Mad With Pride e Gold Tooth Girl incorporano spunti eterogenei, e suonano come ideali colonne sonore per film. Anche nei momenti concettuali (come il bebop anemico e notturno di 11th Hour Shine-On) il quartetto scodella musica gradevole, mai difficile.

La musica di Baiza divenne sempre piu` ardua, e sempre piu` difficile da inquadrare da una prospettiva puramente rock. Senza Brewer e` piu` libero di svariare sul fronte armonico, ma al tempo stesso non sembra in grado di supplire alla mancanza di un compositore, e non a caso ricorre spesso a brani altrui.

(Clicka qua per la versione Italiana)

Relocated to Switzerland, Universal Congress' drummer Jason Kahn continued the band's punk-jazz program with Cut's two albums, Cut and Popular Music, and with Repeat, a duo with guitarist Toshimaru Nakamura, adding sampling and austere compositional techniques to his repertory.

Miramar (Sirr, 2004) collects synthesizer drones that were created via a complex arrangement of microphones.

Paper Cuts (Crouton, 2005) is an 18-minute collaboration with Jon Mueller that seems to consist only of noises made by cutting paper.

Timelines (june 2004 - Cut, 2005) and Sihl (Sirr, 2005) are highly experimental solo albums of subliminal noise.

Vista (And/OAR, 2008) is a collaboration between Jason Kahn and Asher Thal-Nir devoted to manipulating field recoridngs. Jason Kahn & Richard Francis (Monochrome Vision, 2009) documents live performances with New Zealand's Richard Francis. Vanishing Point (23five Incorporated, 2009) continued the project of Timelines and Sihl: elegant, glacial and skeletal meditative music.

Jason Kahn (on percussion and synthesizer) assembled a quartet with Olivia Block (prepared piano), Ulrich Krieger (alto and sopranino sax and live electronics) and Mark Trayle (laptop and guitar) for Timelines Los Angeles (april 2008).

The trio of Jason Kahn (analog synthesizer), Günter Müller (electronics), and Christian Wolfarth (percussion) is documented on Drumming (Creative Sources, 2005) and Limmat (march 2009).

Intervals (april 2009 - Monotype, 2010) documents live collaborations between Z'ev and Jason Kahn (also on analogue synthesizer).

Planes (2011), recorded in september 2008, was a collaboration between Kahn (on analogue synthesizer and percussion) and Martin Asher (on recording and playback devices).

The 37-minute Beautiful Ghost Wave (2011) was scored for "analog synthesizer, mixing board, contact microphones, short wave radio and electromagnetic coils".

Fields (2007) collects recordings from around the world of the previous two years.

Kahn's For Nam June Paik (Absence of Wax, 2011) documents a live performance of november 2008.

The 60-minute suite Sin Asunto (december 2008) featured a quartet with violinist Vincent Millioud, celloist Bo Wiget and contrabassist Christian Weber. Espírito Santo (october 2009 - Mazagran, 2011), a collaboration with guitarist Manuel Mota, was inspired by the poet Pessoa.

Kahn's On Metal Shores (Editions, 2011), created between 2008 and 2010, was just one 37-minute suite of droning music that mixes studio manipulation of found sounds and long-thin-wire instruments a` la Eliane Radigue; a sort of follow-up to Vista.

Jason Kahn formed an improvising trio with Jeroen Visser (organ, electronics) and Christian Weber (contrabass), Tetras, first documented on Pareidolia (february 2011), a double-LP whose four side-long jams run the gamut from hypnotic jazz-rock a` la Necks to industrial and ambient music.

The trio of Stephen Cornford (electronics, amplified fibre-optic flower), Patrick Farmer  (upturned turntable, prepared cd players) and Jason Kahn (analog synthesizer, radio) recorded the live Bristol (february 2012 - Pilgrim Talk, 2012).

Jason Kahn's Draught (june 2009 - Consumer Waste, 2012) was an all-electronic collaboration with Stasis Duo's members Matt Earle and Adam Sussmann. Five Lines (september 2010) documents a meeting with other four electroacoustic improvisers: Casey Anderson (computer, objects, radio), radio, mixing board), Norbert Moeslang (cracked everyday-electronics), Guenter Mueller (ipods, electronics) and Mark Trayle (computer and electronics).

Another trio project, paring Kahn (on analog synthesizer, radio and mixing board) with Richard Francis (modular synthesizer and computer) and Dead C's Bruce Russell (on analog electronics) recorded the lengthy improvisation of Dunedin (january 2011 - CMR, 2012). Open Space (january 2012) featured Chris Abrahams (piano), Laura Altman (clarinet), Monika Brooks (accordion), Matt Earle and Adam Sussmann (electronics), Rishin Singh (trombone), Aemon Webb (guitar), John Wilton (percussion) and Kahn (as usual on electronics).

Fronts (march 2012) documents live performances by Jason Kahn and guitarist Mark Trayle.

Jason Kahn's solo performances on drum set, voice, metal objects, radio, mixing board, contact microphones, magnetic coil, speaker, computer, chairs and plastic bags Things Fall Apart (april 2013) were inspired by Chinua Achebe's namesake novel.

Kahn's solo album Broken Place (november 2012) contains two pieces for voice, analog synthesizer, mixing board and short wave radio.

Kahn played analog synthesizer, mixing board and short wave radio on the first piece of Yugue (october 2012 - Akuseku, 2013) along with Takahiro Yamamoto (turntables) and Takuji Naka (sax, tape and electronic device).

Two Sunrise (september 2012) documents a collaboration between Kahn and Tim Olive (also on electronics).

The 29 minute piece of the cassette Walcheturm (Banned Productions, 2014) was recorded in april 2011.

Noema (march 2014) collects 37 short experiments. The trio of Tetuzi Akiyama (guitar), Jason Kahn (drums) and Toshimaru Nakamura (no-input mixing board) is documented by the live Between Two (may 2014). Valentines (february 2012) was a collaboration with fellow electronic and digital musician Phil Julian.

Jason Kahn played analogue synthesizer, radio, mixing board on Fukuoka/Osaka (may 2014 - Notice, 2015), helped by Tim Olive on magnetic pickups.

MKM, i.e. Günter Müller (iPods, electronics), Jason Kahn (modular synthesizer, mixer, radio) and Norbert Moslang (cracked everyday electronics), recorded MSA (spring 2007), the live Instants//Paris (june 2012), Teplo_Dom (september 2017), that includes the 27-minute Teplo, and Bangalore (february 2019).

Kahn's Monads (2017) contains four lengthy compositions: Electronics (18.32), Voice (17.59), Percussion (17.59) and Environment (18.00). Circle (june 2018) is devoted to improvised guitar pieces.

Jason Kahn's Lining Out (2019) contains two improvisations for voice and drumset. Old and New Ghosts (january 2020) contains brief improvisations for twelve-string acoustic lap slide guitar.

The quintet of Gunter Muller (ipods, electronics), Jason Kahn (modular synthesizer, radio, mixer), Norbert Moslang (electronics), Joke Lanz (turntables) and Christian Weber (bass) recorded the lengthy Kangaroo Kitchen and Mountain Monkey on the double-disc Kangaro Kitchen (september 2018).

Lining Out (january 2018) contains two side-long compositions for voice and percussion with a Gaelic psalm sung by the Free Churches on the Outer Hebrides.

Spirits (december 2019) contains two side-long compositions for voice, lap, guitar and Swiss percussionist Christian Wolfarth.

Kahn's 18-minute Infinity Suite (2020) is a composition based on sounds taped in Varanasi, and came with a 60-page book. The double-LP Days Falling (Editions 011, 2021) contains five improvised pieces for voice and acoustic guitar.

Jason Kahn's Soundings (2022) consisted of a book (165 pages of poetry) and a CD (67 minutes of field recordings).

Translations (december 2021) documents a collaboration between Jason Kahn (electronics) and Bertrand Denzler (tenor sax).

All Along The Way (june 2022) contains two solo electronic pieces.

Eternal City (may 2022) contains improvisations with saxophonist Ulrich Krieger.

Jason Kahn played modular synth, mixing board, electromagnetic transducers, radio, spring reverb tank and sang on Every Hand Is Lunatic That Travels on the Moon (Editions 017, 2024).

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