KOSMONAUTIK PILGRIMAGE

Review originally posted at www.therocktologist.com

Wow, this is amazing!

Improvisation is a strong word, in it one could include lots of nous or adjectives such as creativity, freedom, talent, understanding, challenging, different, whatever you want, and though all of us as human beings are capable of improvising things in a daily basis, we don't really adapt improvisation as a true part of our life, we don't even think about it.

But there are people like the prolific Markus Reuter who is used to that word, because it is part of his essence as a musician, as an artist, and this time with the project Anchor and Burden he's gathered with other 3 great musicians to create a one-hour trip with no boundaries that could take you to countless places, that will make you feel several emotions, that will carry loads of information to your nerve cells.

What will you find in this album? It might be difficult to place it under a musical genre, but be sure that once you try it, you'll immerse into your deepest emotions, you'll experiment uncertainty, excitement, anxiety, relief, power, and much more, and though I know each person has a unique experience and might feel different things, I think it is probable you'll find yourself covered by some of the ones I previously mentioned, at least for a moment.

The album has a dark atmosphere almost all the time, important to say that here are no vocals here, it is a completely instrumental record, but that's its charm, they are capable of make you feel lots of emotions with their instruments, they grab your mind and soul and open them, so they can be receptive to embrace those nervous sounds, those chaotic and intense moments that when you least expect it, can be contrasted with peaceful moments.

Of course, it is impossible not to mention two big words: King Crimson. An almost evident reference in this album, and even in Reuter's career, but there are moments when you surely will remember both, the 70s and the 00s eras of KC with these improvisations. Both touch guitar players create a wonderful combo, several textures and nuances that are shared in every track, creating raw sounds that punch you in the chest. Wonderful atmospheric and kosmik backgrounds are created by Wöstheinrich's electronics, while the drums are always proposing and telling you something, you decide how to catch those sounds, those dialogues.

I wanted to give it a shot with a loud sound, and then I listened to it with headphones which is something I always recommend, but this time and though there are for sure some common places, I think the experience could be really different if you let your soul rest for an hour, put those good headphones you've got and let the music take you to another planet. You'll find details that can change your perception, at least for a moment.

So my final advice is that you have to open your mind's gates when you decide to push play to this album, if you do so, I am sure you will have a terrific journey, and will enjoy it as much as I've done it. Congrats to these amazing musicians and to Leonardo Pavkovic for releasing this great album under his unique and precious Moonjune label.

Enjoy it!

Anyone interested in avant garde improvisational music will be well versed with the experimentations of Markus Reuter, and here he is back with Anchor & Burden. He first started working with Bernhard Wöstheinrich (keyboards, electronics) as Centrozoon more than 25 years ago, and his idea was to take that as a starting point and then add additional musicians. Instead of bringing in a bassist he instead opted for another touch guitarist and a student of his, Alexander Paul Dowerk, with the line-up completed by drummer Shawn Crowder. They recorded five fully improvised live albums in 2021, but by the time they came together for the 2022 sessions Shawn had gone back to the States so instead they brought in Asaf Sirkis, who Markus has been recording with since 2016.

The result is an album which has gone straight past any musical boundaries, as for them they simply cease to exist. I have not heard the previous releases by this band, although I have long been a fan of both Markus and Asaf and remember reviewing Centrozoon as well, but if they are as compelling as this then I may well need to seek them out. Here we have four musicians who are working on their own, yet combining with the others in a way that no-one knows which path they are going to take, and that very much includes the players themselves. They all need to be listening to the other three, and then deciding what part they can bring to the music and whether they feel a need to move it in a different direction or go with the flow, and not playing is a very important part of this. It is interesting to follow Asaf and his style as one can almost hear his thought processes as he sits back at times and is incredibly complex at others, working hard to ensure he adds and never detracts from what is taking place in the studio.

This is music which will not be appreciated by many, as it is far beyond the norm, and in many ways is Krautrock being reinvented for a new age, yet if you dare then this is well worth discovering.