On their first CD as a duo,
Tom Hamilton (playing a Nord modular synthesizer) and Bruce Eisenbeil (on electric guitar with preparations and effects) have forged a strong free improvisation partnership. Despite the demanding approach and the abstracted nature of their work, they come through with bouncy and witty music.
Hamilton, especially, knows how to pace the awkwardness of his modular synth, infusing a healthy dose of humor in his delivery without stripping away the density of the music. In this case, "density" doesn't mean a wall of noise -- the duo's music leaves room for silence and space -- it translates a high level of eventfulness. Sounds bounce back and forth, as
Hamilton's synth jerks and spits out a wide array of short-lived sounds (Thomas Lehn's style comes to mind), while Eisenbeil achieves pretty much the same effect with his guitar. Plus, the latter rarely sticks to an idea more than a few seconds, varying his techniques, not unlike the restlessness of a
Derek Bailey. By now you may be picturing something tiresome (restless, dense, jerky, ever-changing) -- wrong.
Shadow Machine's best feature is probably its conciseness: nine nicely-defined tracks, all in the four- to eight-minute range. Another thing going for it is an interesting form of interaction between the musicians.
Hamilton and Eisenbeil are clearly listening closely to each other, but it sounds like they have agreed to disagree, follow their own trails, and meet again at different spots along the way. This results in more risk-taking, and a lively set of improvisations. ~ François Couture