Short Reviews [Tu-Ner - 2024 - "T-2 Tu-Ner for Lovers"]

When it comes to writing the book on the most important avant-garde progressive artists of the 21st Century there is no doubt that these three musicians would all have quite a few pages devoted to their output. First off, we have drummer Pat Mastelotto (who also provides electronics), who has spent the last 25 years with King Crimson and Stick Men. Touch guitarist Markus Reuter is seemingly everywhere in the scene, although Stick Men and Anchor & Burden are probably the most well-known, and then there is Warr guitarist Trey Gunn who has graced the stages and recording studios with legendary acts such as King Crimson, David Sylvian, Robert Fripp, Brian Eno, Happy Rhodes, Puscifer, Tool and John Paul Jones. This album is taken from live recordings (no audience) where the musicians just allowed themselves to wander and create music as they went. There are times when Pat does his best Bill Bruford impersonation and dispenses with percussion altogether as he concentrates on other areas, and hen plenty of others where his frenetic approach adds urgency and energy to proceedings. Both Markus and Trey are experts not only with their instruments but listening and reacting in an improvised and avant garde world, and here they are very much in their element as they know the other person will follow, or lead, and it is up to them to either set the pace and direction or understand the route which is being driven through the musical wilderness. High note density combines with shifting time signatures to create music, which is extreme in so many ways, but is also a logical step from these three master musicians. There will only be a very small percentage of listeners who will find this compelling, but those who do will be in for one heck of a ride as at no point does anyone know what is going to come next, and that includes those playing.