TRACK LIST:
1. Fahrenheit 5:41
2. Celsius 5:15
3. Kelvin 32:30
4. Rankine 6:54
LINE UP:
Yumi Hara - vocals, piano, sounds
Tim Hodgkinson - guitars
Chris Cutler - drums, sounds
Prolusion.
Multinational trio The Watts were formed back in 2017, and consists of the members Yuri Hama, Chris Cutler and Tim Hodgkinson. All of the members are of course well known for those with an interest in the more expressive sides of the progressive rock universe. "Decoherence" is their debut album, and was released through the label Bonobo's Ark Records in 2019.
Analysis.
Seeing the artists involved in this venture one would expect the music here to reside inside of an extreme and expressive context somewhere, and that is very much the case here too. The perhaps most surprising aspect about the music captured on these live recordings is that there's a bit of an emphasis on minimalism that is an ongoing feature: While there are sound and noise explosions and chaotic moments with a dramatic take on a free form execution, this isn't a central aspect of the landscapes explored.
Instead we get more careful displays of searching sounds and effects, some brief chaotic moments here, small fragments of coherence there, and longer passages with what I'd describe as sequential patterns as the main orientation. Later on, on the mammoth length creation 'Kelvin' we also get several displays of what I'd describe as minimalist harmony and melody oriented passages wedged in between sequences, occasional dramatic eruptions as well as the aforementioned searching, chaotic and subtly more coherent oriented phrases. The concluding 'Rankine' then appears to focus on the elements introduced in 'Kelvin'.
Expressive minimalism may be a term one can use to describe this album as a whole, and I also get the impression that this album is a journey where the shorter cuts focus on some aspects of the different orientations while the more substantial centerpiece creation incorporates all the elements to a lesser or greater extent.
The level of musicianship here is of course both undeniable and very well documented, so how much or not people will find this album to be a rewarding experience all comes down to a matter of subjective taste.
Conclusion.
As far as music goes this is a most challenging creation consisting of material very much existing on the outer edges of a defined musical universe with ties towards audio noise on one hand and the more chaotic instances of free form music on the other. This is niche music for a niche audience, a true gem of an album for those within that particular sphere but a hard to decipher and difficult to enjoy production for those outside of that niche. While this is music that is quite a bit outside of my personal taste in music, hence the rating, for those who think that challenging minimalist music with an experimental edge, an expressive execution and a bit of a free form undercurrent sounds like something that will be an interesting listen, chances are very high that they will find "Decoherence" to be a most enjoyable album experience.
Progmessor: January 2023
The Rating Room
