Spinifex
Undrilling the Hole
TryTone Records
Spinifex is a a resilient species of grass found in Australia, which grows well even in rocky, inhospitable soil. The band Spinifex is an experimental jazz sextet from the port city of Amsterdam. The Netherlands has long been a fertile ground for improvised and experimental music. For over 50 years, bands like the Instant Composers Pool have been pushing the limits of jazz and improvisation. The Ex have been blurring the line between punk, jazz and world music for almost as long. Spinifex fit comfortably into this environment that nurtures sounds that might not be able to take root anywhere else.
Undrilling the Hole is the ninth release by the ensemble. Unlike earlier releases, all compositions on this album were composed by band leader and alto saxophonist Tobias Klein. The music is a a full-throttle embrace of the visceral and cerebral, a spirited blend of free improv abandon, avant-jazz complexity, punk rock aggression, and compulsively infectious grooves.
The album’s opening track, “Embrace the Contradictions,” sets the stage for what’s to come. It reminds me of the off-kilter rhythms of Captain Beefheart and the free improvisation of Ornette Coleman’s electric band Prime Time. The rhythm section lays down a sort of wooden shoe swing while the horns and guitar explore. The title track slows down to a rusting barge crawl, with long, slow lines of dissonant horns and aching bass playing off each other.
Undrilling the Hole is a challenging and rewarding collection of tunes that will have you embracing the freedom and funkiness of the arrangements. It may even have you doing some off-kilter dancing of your own.
