top of page

 Title:               Not3

 By:                  3D

 Released in:   2008

 Format:          2-CDs

 Catalog No:    MW 795-2

 Price :             18 EUR

Tracklist:

CD 1

1. Difference (Dell) [06:08]

2. Phasing Music (De Martin) [06:48]

3. Trio (Dahlgren) [06:27]

4. Terminal A (Dell) [07:40]

5. Das Licht (Dahlgren) [09:22]

 

CD 2

1. The Streets Of Berlin (Dahlgren) [17:46]

2. Imitation (Dell / Dahlgren / De Martin) [06:27]

3. Not 3 (Dell) [08:00]

4. Reanimation (De Martin) [06:01]

 

Line-up:

Christopher Dell - vibes, guitar, electric bass, voice

Chris Dahlgren - Electric bass, double bass, voice

Maurice De Martin - drums, percussion, voice

 

What the critics say:

I knew of bassist Chris Dahlgren from when he lived in town and played with local musicians like Peter Epstein, Marc Whitecage, Briggan Krauss and Anthony Braxton (duo CD on Clean Feed). Since moving to Berlin, I've been less aware of his activities aside from his work with Gebhard Ullmann. Hence, when we got in this double disc from Not Two with two German musicians that I am not familiar with, I had no idea what to expect. What is most interesting is how wonderful and weird this little box-set turned out to be...

Like Mr. Dahlgren's former collaborator, Anthony Braxton, each piece is identified by a diagram in the inner booklet. The music is an odd blend of assorted pieces, each with a different sound or strategy. Even with the basic trio of vibes, bass and drums, you never know what direction each piece will develop into. The first piece is a minimalist duo exchange for skeletal vibes and percussion with unexpected moments of fuzz bass weirdness in the last section. The second piece consists of a stripped down el. bass and drums martial beat with layers of sinister, soft spoken word vocal weirdness. Rather Residents-like. It sounds as if someone is playing toy percussion on the third piece, along with Chris' fractured bass sounds. The fourth track features layers of a woman's voice sampled and speaking German, when it starts. The vocal samples are used like spice along with minimal percussion, twisted guitar fragments and snippets of noise. The overall effect is fascinating yet truly strange. I often get the feeling that there is a play or a story hidden in here somewhere, as if we are missing one layer or ingredient in the overall structure. The first piece on disc 2 features some eerie rumbles, distant vibes and occasional percussion. With some patience the mystery slowly unfolds, bit by bit. In a way this music is environmental or even Morton Feldman-like. One must fill in their own idea as to what is exactly taking place, filling in the space. 

 

BLG (Downtown Music Gallery)

MW756

3D - ...Actually: It's Better Like This... (CD)

Mad Dogs On The Loose  box-set cover

Barry Guy New Orchestra

Kraków 2020 by London Jazz Composers Orchestra box-set cover

Kraków 2020 by London Jazz Composers Orchestra

Mad Dogs box-set cover

Barry Guy New Orchestra

Not Two... but twenty box-set cover

Not Two... but twenty

Odes and Meditations for Cecil Taylor by Barry Guy's Blue Shroud Band box-set cover980

Odes and Meditations for Cecil Taylor by Barry Guy's Blue Shroud Band

bottom of page