SC'ÖÖF

SC'ÖÖF has so far released two albums, this debut KREIDENFELS which emerged in 2017 on BandCamp and the more recent "Weaving Elephants" which was released by Club Denmark, a label, collective and event location founded in 2019. KRIEDENFELS features six tracks and just skirts over the 31 minute playing time.

This debut is an exercise in free jazz especially the European variety in the vein of Peter Brötzmann, Manfred Schoof or Tomasz Stańko. For those not privy to jazz music distinctions, the European style of free jazz is characterized by highly improvised experimentalism that completely eschews the "swing" of American jazz. The mood is dark and forbidding whilst the guitar additions add a bombastic contrast albeit sparingly.

In many ways, SC'ÖÖF's debut sounds very much like some of the most "out there" examples of free jazz from the late 60s and early 70s, the style that could be heard by artists like Evan Parker, Albert Mangelsdorff or Peter Kowald only SC'ÖÖF adds touches of avant-prog angularities much like Henry Cow's four album run of the 70s.

While punk guitar is present, it only sporadically erupts from the jagged irregularities of the compositional flow. Atonal clean guitar strums are much more common with the duo saxophone attacks constructing the atmospheric turbulence. The most "normal" sound to be heard is the drum rolls that evoke more traditional jazz conventions.

This may be of interest to fans of avant-prog infused jazz bands like France's Jean Louis but overall KREIDENFELS is nothing more than a completely free form jazz run that never coalesces into any sort of album experience and while i do love me some free jazz, SC'ÖÖF doesn't really perform anything here that hasn't been done countless times in the past. This is a decent avant-garde debut but falls short in elevating the world of free jazz.

A Swiss avantgarde jazz rock quartet SC'''F launch eccentric but violent chamber sound explosion coloured with their own noise language. Their latest album "Weaving Elephants" is drenched in their original sticky melodic attacks. What a surprise they can unify their instrumental moments and movements in such a precise manner, but I believe their perfect assimilation can do such a brilliant work.

Although the rhythmic basis is complicated and perplexed, every single phrase is simple and cute. And gradual developments of sound are quite interesting. These phenomena (especially the former part of the second track "Beater") remind me of the similarity to Satan Alfa Beel Atem or so. The first lava flow "Ruminant" is as the title says. Wild crazy saxophone-oriented phrases push our inner brain again and again. Weird percussive footprints stir us up and down. The latter phase of "Beater" is completely of contemporary Krautrock filled with noisy madness and mysterious sound unification.

"Stereotypy" can be said just as Swiss Semool. Gradual sound developments featuring synthesizers and saxophones have been invading into our stomach. Irregular, non-catchable melodic / rhythmic collective cannot easily be digested. Dissected obstinate experimental grandeur. The last "Entertainment" gives us sarcastic attachment, along with repetitive madness. Quite tiny is every single phrase but the collection of elements are supremely flavourful. They do not say any difficult thing but full of pleasure due to such a sincere aggregate of eerie components.

Experimentalism rules, different from one by Horde Catalytique Pour La Fin though.