Artist: Kurai
Label: Altrock
Release: 2009
Rating: 4.3/5
Kurai is a Japanese word meaning “dusk” or “gloom,” and it’s probably the perfect word for the atmosphere on this album. You could say this project is another team-up between Zago and Stauss, like they did before with Zauss, but here Zago is clearly the man in charge. He obviously had a more ambient, murky record in mind. After a few spins it gets clearer what he was going for, and you can tell he pretty much nailed it.
Some parts of the album are group improvisations (more likely) or group compositions, and those are my personal favorites, although Zago’s solo pieces have plenty to offer too. Mostly you get a mix of ambient, jazz, classical, avant-garde and even rock. In a way the music reminds me of Fripp’s soundscapes, only with more interesting ideas and elements thrown in (as the long list of genres above already suggests). You could probably draw even more parallels between this record and early King Crimson (especially thanks to the heavy use of the mellotron in both). They also tried to blend atmospheric passages with jazz, rock and classical, though in King Crimson the ambient parts were usually kept separate from the jazz and rock tracks, while Kurai often mash these elements together in a single composition.
At times the music is so quiet it’s menacing, but that’s probably exactly the point. The silence cranks up the sense of anticipation, like something terrible could go down any moment. You almost crave some kind of release, but all you get is the occasional burst of chaos, with every musician playing seemingly unconnected parts, which does nothing to calm your nerves or relieve the pressure that’s been building the whole time. And once the jazzy parts wrap up, you’re right back in that bewildering silence.
Kurai is like a horror movie without the actual horror. All you get are hints of what could happen any second, but it never does. It’s a seriously original idea, since the listener is kept on edge and wound tight the whole way through. Plenty of people will probably think an album like this has to be missing something, but the concept is surprisingly original and really works. Music fans who think outside the box will find this album at least intriguing, while some will even find the unconventional approach brilliant and exhilarating.
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Kurai is a word that means dark in Japanese and I suppose that’s as good a word as any to describe the atmosphere here. We could say that this is another collaboration between Zago and Stauss, like on the Zauss project, but this is much more in Zago’s control. Zago’s vision was obviously to create a more atmospheric record with a a very dark colour to it. When you’ve listened to it several times, you get a sense of what he was trying to do and you realise that he actually did what he set out to do with great success.
Some parts of the record are either group improvisations (more likely) or group compositions and those work best for me, even though the Zago solo compositions have a great deal to offer as well. Usually, we hear a combination of ambient music, jazz, classical, avant-garde and even rock. In a way, I am reminded by Fripp’s soundscapes, but with a lot more interesting ideas and elements thrown in (as can be seen by the many genres incorporated within the music). I guess you could draw more parallels between this record and early King Crimson. They tried to fuse atmospheric pieces with jazz, rock and classical music, but the atmospheric pieces in King Crimson were usually done separately from the jazz and rock pieces, while Kurai usually fuse these elements in one piece.
Occasionally, the music is so quiet that it’s almost eerie, but I suppose this is the point of the album. The quiet brings on a sense of expectation, as if something horrific might happen. You almost want some kind of release to occur, but there’s only the occasional chaos of all the musicians playing seemingly disjointed music, which does nothing to soothe your nerves, or at least put an end to the pressure that’s been building up. Even so, once the jazzy chaotic parts end, we’re again faced with more disturbing quiet.
Kurai is like a horror movie without any real horror happening. You only see hints of what might happen at any given second, but it never occurs. This is a very original idea because the listener remains in a state of agitation and suspense throughout the album. I’m sure many people will say that there must be something missing from an album like this, but the idea is actually surprisingly inventive and works really well. Musical fans who like to think outside the box will surely find this album intriguing, if nothing else, while some may even find its unorthodox content brilliant and exciting.
Lineup
Enrica Di Bastiano – harp
Maurizio Fasoli – piano
Giuseppe Olivini – percussion, harpsichord
Peter Schmid – bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, trombone
Markus Stauss – saxophones
Christian Weber – bass
Francesco Zago – electric guitar, mellotron
Production
Francesco Zago
Tracklist
1. Herbert Quain 3:36
2. Cavedio 8:05
3. Premessa Inessenziale 1:15
4. Einigermassen Ruhig 5:22
5. Miniature On Rovine 1:09
6. L’eco Delle Fiamme 7:34
7. L’oscurita Naturale Delle Cose 1:12
8. Fluester-Kadenz 6:58
9. Strassenleuchte 0:53
10. Treffunkt 6:27
11. Fuoco Pallido 5:01
12. Peter Was There Too 5:41
13. Lento “1 0:36
14. Einigermassen Ruhiger 5:29
15. La Folgore Nera 2:06
16. Still Water 2:25
17. White 7:47
