SONAR WITH DAVID TORN AND J. PETER SCHWALM: THREE MOVEMENTS

Stephan Thelen has recalled his band of math rockers for another SONAR collaboration, this time with "iconoclastic audio poet" David Torn, while also calling on board keyboard/electronics expert (and Eno collaborator), J. Peter Schwalm.

1. "Movement 1" (16:20) the presence and influence of keyboard/electronics expert J. Peter Schwalm is felt immediately in the much more expanded spectrum of sound presented here; the SONAR sound field by these Math Rockers is typically far-more sparse than this. David Torn's first solo feels forced, too rooted in rock norms, not as expressive of his own highly unique sonic intuition. Luckily, this style is short-lived: the band goes back into more Math Rock polyrhythmic mode, several times building to full-band weave crescendos before devolving into a more open, passive, and spacey soundscape in the thirteenth minute. Christian Kuntner's Tony Levin-like low bass "thrums" always get me--and he times them perfectly (though selectively) throughout this. The tribal-rhythms and beats of the fourteenth and fifteenth minutes are so PETER GABRIEL Passion like! ("Of These, Hope") It's wonderful! Great tune! Welcome J. Peter! (27/30)

2. "Movement 2" (11:00) more industrial space synth sounds open this before the mathematical note- and arpeggio play of the stringed instruments slowly enter and begin to mesh and interweave. It's an awesome weave with a MASERATI-like earworm part in the seventh minute--that is carried forward with some regularity and shadow echoes into the ninth minute. Man! J. Peter Schwalm's electronics makes a huge difference! (18.5/20)

3. "Movement 3" (15:08) opening with more typical SONAR Math Rock guitar weave, joined first by the deep bass thrums of Christian Kuntner and then Van de Graaf generator-like electronic inputs from J. Peter Schwalm's synths. The inputs of David Torn and J. Peter Schwalm are felt in bursts and waves over the course of the next four minutes until the music swells and then clears out for some very deep electronic (bass?) waves. The have no real change in structure or flow until the ninth minute when drummer Manuel Pasquinellil begins to go to town over his cymbals and then entire drum kit--then everybody else seems to jump on the dynamic wagon, though Manuel remains the most impressive. (26.5/30)

Total Time 42:28

The addition of a keyboard/electronics expert certainly does add a lot of breadth to the sonic landscapes of Stephan Thelen and company. Though still built around King Crimson "Discipline"-like Math Rock polyrhythms, the music is far more spacey, less sparse.

A-/4.5 stars; another amazing album of "future world" music from Switzerland's greatest progressive rock export; highly recommended to all prog lovers: this might very well be the best SONAR release yet--even better than 2018's Vortex!