Friday, September 10, 2021

Chris Abrahams / Clayton Thomas / Miles Thomas - Words Fail (September 10, 2021 Hospital Hill)

The debut release from the trio of Chris Abrahams (piano), Clayton Thomas (bass & preparations), & Miles Thomas (drums & percussion), Words Fail is an intergenerational meeting of the minds.

Despite the quintessential trio format, the sound world subverts the instrumentation across four expansive improvisations. Beginning with a lone piano note, repeating like droplets of water on a glassy lake, the interwoven textures of Clayton Thomas’ prepared double-bass & Miles Thomas’ foley-like percussion - sounding on occasion like something out of Xenakis’ Pithoprakta - soon attempt to pull things into deeper, darker waters.

1. the other & that therefore 16:01
2. insisting on the by now 14:55
3. between the world of words & the world of 15:35
4. water & fire, nothing else 14:33

Recorded by Richard Belkner at Free Energy Device, Sydney
Mixed by Miles Thomas
Mastered & cut by Helmut Erler D&M, Berlin
Painting by Amanda Tsioutis
Design & layout by WBYK