I've only reviewed five new releases of drum madman Jörg A. Schneider this year so far. Anyone who knows his prolific profile knows that couldn't possibly be all, so here's the next bunch of albums - two which have already been out there for a couple of months and one, which is still oven-fresh.
ROJI - Tsunami Deluxe (2CD) (2025)
This first one of the bunch has a special significance for me, since the last CD from Roji, 2022's "Dual Gaia", which I became aware of following bass player Gonçalo Almeida, had actually been my first introduction to Schneider's work. And this wild and heavy Experimental Jazz / Noise monstrosity still ranks among my favorites in both players' catalogues.
The duo which forms the core of the band had been aided by João Almeida on trumpet and saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi, who I also hadn't known before. On this new work however, which is so long that it required a double CD release, the latter isn't present, so Roji is a trio of drums, bass and trumpet now.
And if you're thinking that makes them quiter somehow, and that during a playing time of almost two hours they have to take a breather somewhere - think again! The first of twelve tracks immediately throws you into a frenzy of rumbling bass, mean screeching trumpet and bonkers drum insanity, which sets the standard of intensity for almost the whole rest of the album.
The obvious doubt at this point is: Doesn't this get stale at some point? And that's Roji's great achievement: Each track of this Jazzcore / Free Noise inferno sticks close enough to rhythmic, textural or melodic patterns to stand out on its own, and over the run of the whole double album the trio always finds new variations of navigating through the chaos - as if they weren't even the ones creating it in the first place. Be it through the individual performances or the use of effects and different levels of distortion, this tsunami never creatively slows down. There's just always something interesting happening, which makes you want to contue through the whole beautiful catastrophe.
Just listen to João Almeida alone who on several tracks makes his brass instrument sound like the testing ground for new alarms and sirens, while other times you could easily confuse the trumpet with a shredding lead guitar or a croaking zurna. And then there are of course also the instances of classic "normal" trumpet sound between sweet Smooth and not so sweet Free Jazz and Arabic influences.
It's a range. And the other two members vary in similar ways, so no, this elemental freak-out really doesn't get stale at all. Possibly the most important Schneider album of the year (at least the most anticipated from my side), unquestionably insanely great stuff!
The duo which forms the core of the band had been aided by João Almeida on trumpet and saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi, who I also hadn't known before. On this new work however, which is so long that it required a double CD release, the latter isn't present, so Roji is a trio of drums, bass and trumpet now.
And if you're thinking that makes them quiter somehow, and that during a playing time of almost two hours they have to take a breather somewhere - think again! The first of twelve tracks immediately throws you into a frenzy of rumbling bass, mean screeching trumpet and bonkers drum insanity, which sets the standard of intensity for almost the whole rest of the album.
The obvious doubt at this point is: Doesn't this get stale at some point? And that's Roji's great achievement: Each track of this Jazzcore / Free Noise inferno sticks close enough to rhythmic, textural or melodic patterns to stand out on its own, and over the run of the whole double album the trio always finds new variations of navigating through the chaos - as if they weren't even the ones creating it in the first place. Be it through the individual performances or the use of effects and different levels of distortion, this tsunami never creatively slows down. There's just always something interesting happening, which makes you want to contue through the whole beautiful catastrophe.
Just listen to João Almeida alone who on several tracks makes his brass instrument sound like the testing ground for new alarms and sirens, while other times you could easily confuse the trumpet with a shredding lead guitar or a croaking zurna. And then there are of course also the instances of classic "normal" trumpet sound between sweet Smooth and not so sweet Free Jazz and Arabic influences.
It's a range. And the other two members vary in similar ways, so no, this elemental freak-out really doesn't get stale at all. Possibly the most important Schneider album of the year (at least the most anticipated from my side), unquestionably insanely great stuff!
ATSU AOKI & JÖRG A. SCHNEIDER - Youku Kiitene (CD) (2025)
This album provides an interesting contrast not only to Roji, but also to most of Schneider's duo collaborations, since most of those feature guitar players and lean at least partly to a Noise Rock aesthetic.
Atsu Aoki, an active Jazz musician since the 1970's plays the upright bass - and while he's not a complete stranger to bowed and a bit gnarlier sounds, most of "Youku Kiitene" pairs Schneider's clattering panicked drum performance with a natural plucked bass style. So somehow this (with twelve tracks in a little more than one hour still quiet long) album delivers the frantic unrest you'd expect, yet juxtaposes it with the steadfast coolness of a seasoned bassist at complete peace with himself.
So for once this is an album which gets the 100% Jazz approval stamp. If you think that somehow makes it less crazy, well that's on you, I guess.
Atsu Aoki, an active Jazz musician since the 1970's plays the upright bass - and while he's not a complete stranger to bowed and a bit gnarlier sounds, most of "Youku Kiitene" pairs Schneider's clattering panicked drum performance with a natural plucked bass style. So somehow this (with twelve tracks in a little more than one hour still quiet long) album delivers the frantic unrest you'd expect, yet juxtaposes it with the steadfast coolness of a seasoned bassist at complete peace with himself.
So for once this is an album which gets the 100% Jazz approval stamp. If you think that somehow makes it less crazy, well that's on you, I guess.
THE NUDE SPUR - Ride The Low Country (CD) (2025?)
The latest Schneider CD is his fourth (and already second this year) collaboration with guitarist Thomas Kranefeld under the moniker Tbe Nude Spur.
Last time I called the results of these two maniacs a Western Noise Rock Free Jazz anarchtists' jam and that assassement hasn't changed a bit. If you hated it before, it won't grow on you now. And if you love this shit you don't need to read any further, but can immediately inject this hour of madness into your ears.
No, conceptionally there's nothing new, just more of this duo's the more chaos the wilder the West philosphy. It's still mind-boggling how the saloon stairs the drums are falling down just doesn't end, but keeps extending as if you were spiraling down an endless fever dream. Meanwhile Kranefeld permanently switches between tones and techniques so fast that it's easy to forget that it's just one guy responsible for this drunken six-string tohubohu.
And in full discographic context it's also remarkable how these two players seemingly just go to eleven all the time, yet somehow don't get randomly erratic beyond a point of recognizability as The Nude Spur. Something in this spastic cownboy brawl must be consistent.
So after having established that this is business as usual in the best way, the résumé unsurprisingly also is the same as always: This is freaking fun! Pow!
Last time I called the results of these two maniacs a Western Noise Rock Free Jazz anarchtists' jam and that assassement hasn't changed a bit. If you hated it before, it won't grow on you now. And if you love this shit you don't need to read any further, but can immediately inject this hour of madness into your ears.
No, conceptionally there's nothing new, just more of this duo's the more chaos the wilder the West philosphy. It's still mind-boggling how the saloon stairs the drums are falling down just doesn't end, but keeps extending as if you were spiraling down an endless fever dream. Meanwhile Kranefeld permanently switches between tones and techniques so fast that it's easy to forget that it's just one guy responsible for this drunken six-string tohubohu.
And in full discographic context it's also remarkable how these two players seemingly just go to eleven all the time, yet somehow don't get randomly erratic beyond a point of recognizability as The Nude Spur. Something in this spastic cownboy brawl must be consistent.
So after having established that this is business as usual in the best way, the résumé unsurprisingly also is the same as always: This is freaking fun! Pow!
