MUSKAUE
Muskaue play a music at rare volume. Entirely acoustic, free and improvised with a crazy energy, served by a dense phrasing where at each moment the readability of the speech appears like an ancestral alchemical formula.
The guitar sound mixes hard flamenco with symphonic minimalist music. The double bass becomes queen of the microtonality while the drums deploy melodies of timbres at the speed of light.
The Squid's Earby Phil Zampino
A choppy little disc of intimate improvisation for three acoustic instrumentalists. Playing standard drum kit alongside unamplified bass and guitar without drowning them out is no mean feat, and Thierry Waziniak acquits himself wonderfully here. He comments or provides just enough thrust to suggest direction without becoming overbearing. A committed listener, obviously. Guilliaume Gargaud on guitar and Patrice Grente on upright bass tumble and roil together in unpredictable masses of string tangle. I can discern no overt influence in anyone's playing here either, which is also not easy.
So much has come over the wire by now that it would seem that everything's already been played. And yet. The briefest of memory-nudges appear like quick-moving referents: a spate of drone in the middle of "BAUSHIG" conjurs up the ghost of Charlie Haden, or the briefest of old-timey jazz congeals and dissipates frequently. Greasy behind the nut plucking is followed by odd-meter scalar runs and popping snare-rim ticks. The affixed titles here seem like neologisms (I could be wrong), which fits perfectly with the notion that language needn't be overlayed on the practice of music.
The whole session has been captured in crystal clear fidelity. I am particularly enamored of the track "MW IQUE", with its open spaces and hanging chords, it sounds very much like a conversation between three old friends.
Spontaneous Music Tribune Review for OMUSUE "TORF Records "
French, fully acoustic, how free improvisation, but released on the Warta River! Post-Bailey guitar, which is not afraid of neo-classical ornaments, seasoned, clean-sounding double bass - from post-baroque, string singing, to compulsive emotions of far blues provenance, and finally punctual, vigilant, perfectly complementing string lines. Seven 5-7 minute, compact stories on the subject, with good dramaturgy, constructed according to the principle that tasty, expressive lines should be preceded by slightly thoughtful introductions.
As if in spite of the rule stated in the previous sentence, the beginning of the album seems to be fiery almost from the first phrase. Fast pace, feline agility, precision of every action and coherent, unconventional sound. In this original improvisation, everything fits together as if it were cut with a single cut of a scalpel. And a breath of post-modern flamenco, and Renaissance thoughts as part of the icing on the cake. In the second story, the musicians show that also by limiting the means of expression they are able to effectively divert attention. They do equally well in the non-expressive post-ballad, which blushes thanks to the great drummer work. In the fourth installment, they build a multi-layered narrative with a plethora of more or less feisty short-cuts. In the next two improvisations, they attach even more importance to narrative details, and both form neat, post-blues stories. In the first of them we are delighted with the guitar, in the second, not for the first time, the power of action on the snare drum, toms and cymbals. The final story at the start seems to be a final ballad, but - again without surprise - it takes on quite fiery shapes on the final straight. (Google Translate)
Andrzej Nowak
GARGAUD – GRENTE – WAZINIAK Omusue (TORF records, TR007): Das subtile Artwork von Weronika Lutkiewicz macht alle TORF-Releases in Poznań augenfällig zu Geschwistern, angefangen von „+Q“ (TR001, 2021) als Duett von Mattias Müller & Michał Giżycki, mit Bassklarinette, Soprano- oder Tenorsax Initiator aller TORF-Dinge. Mit dem Drummer Piotr Dąbrowski, bei „Loka“, „Deva“ und „Citta“ im Duett, als Doppelstern. Die sieben Improvisationen hier, von 'Mus<Ami' bis 'Musmiue', bilden daher die große Ausnahme, als rein französischer Import, mit Guillaume Gargaud an akustischer John Russell-Gitarre, Patrice Grente (von Atlantis, Décor-Um, Egg, Knoonk in Caen), seit 2016 dessen oftmaligem Partner, am Kontrabass und Thierry Waziniak (Trio Rives, Quartet Alta, We Free, Le Circle, DWBH) an Drums, auf seine feinflockige Weise gewohnt extraordinär. So lässt Grente, zugleich süß und kratzig, den Bogen singen oder plonkt stramme Gummifäden, Gargaud krabbelt, rupft und plinkt die Saiten und Waziniak bröselt und streut darüber Späne, Hagelkörner, schrottigen Kleinkram. Nicht ohne, und das macht das so eigen, einen Anhauch von spanischer Gitarre, bizarre Manierismen bis zurück zu Arcimboldo und Marenzio, grübelnde Gedanken im Zeichen des Saturn. Mal hat ihre Muse Hummeln im Arsch, mal vertrackte Formeln im Kopf, sie schneidet Fratzen, sie kratzt sich wie ein flohender Hund. Die Töne taumeln, stolpern, springen über Fell und Metall, seiltänzeln auf dünnem Draht, ohne je zu stürzen. In ständigem Insichwiderspruch kreuzen sich innige und lakonische Gesten, verzahnen sich flirrende und hackende Kapriolen mit sonorem Brüten, paart sich quecksilbrig huschende Flüchtigkeit mit zelebrierter Akribie. [BA 120 rbd]
Guillaume Gargaud (acoustic guitar), Patrice Gente (double bass) and Thierry Waziniak (drums) are recognized improvisers. Their records and their music are found on the net, so everyone can listen to them and form their own opinion. We, here at the label, have written many times about Waziniak albums, or rather about albums in which Waziniak participates, collaborating with other musicians (Isabelle Duthoit, Trio Alta, Duo Libertaire, Duthoit / Waziniak / Bréchet / Hautzinger, Gimbayashi / Hélias / Waziniak, Miura / Mimmo / Waziniak, We Free, Trio Rives) and this is what we will do now, embroidering on “Omusue” [TORF Records, 2023], a new improv album, with its own special characteristics. First of all, let's say that here is a recording, which happened somewhere in Havre, a year ago (August 13-14, 2022), and which seems to be "live" and without special processing. Starting from the setting we would say that this is not "everyday", which is obviously due to the presence of the acoustic guitar - which has a very special role in the recording. Basically the guitar is passe-partout and plays "everything". And she sings, and participates in keeping the rhythm, and causes with her manipulation all those storms that develop in "Omusue". One could say that the folk tradition of flamenco is a basis for the guitar (which is correct), but in practice its role is much more complex - than indicating, say, a "musical region", around which an action will be detected. Thus, the acoustic guitar, Gargaud that is, acts provocatively, in general, giving the "air" to Grente to release his double bass (which even moves in microtonic regions), followed by the usually stormy playing of Waziniak on the drums, who possess energy and boldness. For hours you think you're listening to an acoustic folk group, improvising freely, according to the psychedelic standards of the old Takoma Records, adapted of course to the Franco-Iberian sound environment.
Phontas Troussas Diskoryxeion Reviews (google translate)
Trio guitare acoustique (Guillaume Gargaud) – contrebasse (Patrice Grente) – percussions (Thierry Waziniak) complètement et collectivement improvisé dans le sillage, dira-t-on, du Spontaneous Music Ensemble « string » (John Stevens - Nigel Coombes – Roger Smith) ou de « Fairly Young Bean » du trio John Russell - Maarten Altena - Terry Day). Thierry Waziniak pratique une percussion détaillée d’une grande finesse ouvrant l’espace de jeu avec des frappes assourdies plutôt piano – pianissimo que forte. Patrice Grente assure une forme de lien – colonne vertébrale plus terrienne et lyrique, que ce soit à l’archet ou en pizzicato, alors que le guitariste explore différents registres sonores de la guitare free avec grattages, tournoiements, clusters ou intervalles dissonants. On l’entend empressé à entraîner ses deux collègues dans cette ronde incessante en arcs brisés ou à souligner les suggestions mélodiques du contrebassiste. Improviser librement de telle manière (avec une guitare acoustique) durant sept improvisations de cinq à sept minutes et plus en s’efforçant à renouveler son inspiration n’est pas une mince affaire. On est impressionné par leur faculté partagée à créer ces rhizomes tactiles, vibratoires, ces interactions tangentielles en échangeant des signaux tacites et en suggérant des changements de régime (vitesse, densité, dynamique, espace ludique, hyper-activité ou souffle zen). Au centre du dispositif, un percussionniste sensible, expérimenté et intuitif agissant en toute transparence. Où se situent les pulsations, l’exploration – extrapolation mélodique, le canevas harmonique, le feeling ? Dans le travail de chacun des instrumentistes et le trio tout entier : chacun essaie de truster tous les rôles, de les partager, de s’abstenir ou d’offrir des réponses inattendues. Dans leur parcours en trio, il s’agit sans doute d’une initiation en vue de transcender le potentiel de leur imaginaire en aiguillonnant leur imagination. À suivre !
MUSKAUE with
Guillaume Gargaud is a French composer and improvisational guitarist. He has played on some thirty five albums, and has composed a substantial body of music for contemporary dance and cinema. He has collaborated with Burton Greene, Henry Kaiser, Marc Edwards, Ben Bennett, Jack Wright (US) Carlos Zingar (PO) and many more. He performs solo in Europe, and in the United States and Canada. He lives in Le Havre in France, where he also teaches improvised music. Website
"..we discover a guitarist who plays the acoustic wonderfully, working to crystallise the moods conjured by the techniques being used: atonality, complex melodic lines and, in the tradition of the contemporary guitarist, fast runs around the fingerboard, a search for counterpoint, dramatically placed glissandi, an exploration of sounds at the bridge, etc. Strange Memories is part of that category of works that marvellously exploit the technical and emotional characteristics of the instrument"
Review by Ettore Garzia for Percorsi Musicali"
To describe Gargaud as some sort of “incredible one-man string band” is no exaggeration. Albeit that he ignores explicit references to well-defined styles and any narcissistic riff. In short, a "guitar pendulum" in the best improvisation tradition. Especially for fans of Dirk Serries.
"Review by Georges Tonla Briquet For Jazz'Halo
Patrice Grente is a self-trained doublebass player who has worked in jazz and free improvisation for several years. In his personal research, he explores sound as an entity, working with electronics, field recording, materials and sound installations. He has worked with visual arts, dance, theatre, sound poetry and performance with artists such as Pan Huysen, Phil Niblock, Jerôme Noetinger, Paul Dunmall, Luc Bénazet, Deborah Lennie, Fred Hocké, Guillaume Bellanger, Etienne Zemniak, Jean-Luc Cappozzo, Sonia Chiambretto, Benoît Casas, Hugues Vincent, Yumiko Nii. He is also co-founder of the festival [Interstice] in Caen. Website
Thierry Waziniak is "a poet of the drums with complete mastery of the instrument" (Orynx-improvandsounds). (Orynx-improvandsounds), Thierry Waziniak likes to wander the worlds of improvised music. Sometimes as part of a large ensemble with Jacques Di Donato and Xavier Charles's Système Friche, or Benjamin Duboc's ensemble Icosikaihenagone. Sometimes in much more intimate settings, such as the TWIGS drum duo with Didier Lasserre.His singular style, based on control of very low volumes, a relationship with the body and the instant creation of melodic counterpoints, is the fruit of a long creative journey that has crossed paths with some fascinating musicians. (J.Jacques Avenel, Barre Philipps, Michaël Attias, Gaël Mevel, John Hébert, Mat Maneri, Franz Hautzinger, Isabelle Duthoit, Gianni Mimmo, Steve Potts, Jean-Luc Cappozzo...). Passionate about artistic cross-fertilisation, he performs with painter Marc Feld, calligrapher Yukako Matsui, poet Zéno Bianu, dancers Maki Watanabe and Namiko gahier-Ogawa.A composer for silent films, he is also the creator and director of Blues Repercussion Sound, which combines theatre, music and video. Thierry Waziniak runs the INTRICATION label and is co-founder of Label Rives. A teacher for over thirty years with a passion for passing on his knowledge, he has developed a unique method of teaching drums that is directly in tune with neuroscience. He plays and performs at various festivals (He plays and performs at various festivals (Radio France in Montpellier, Strasbourg Jazz Festival, Banlieues Bleues, Mulhouse Festival, Moers Festival, Luxembourg Film Festival, etc.). On the radio (France Musique programme "A l'Improviste", "Jazz sur le vif", radio creation for France Culture). Website