The Cry by The Cry
A memorable fusion of progressive and improvised instrumental music
Any artist that opens their new album with a 20 minute improvised track has to be confident in their ability to deliver something good. Not many could pull it off either but in celebrated pianist (and Ondes Martenot player) Christine Ott, along with Mathieu Gabry (keyboards and effects) and Pierre-Loïc Le Bliguet (drums and percussion) their chemistry is enthralling and their skills obvious.
Opener Fire of Love (named after the Netflix documentary about the volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft) has it all: ominous bass and organ early on (like Riders on the Storm) followed by psychedelic passages (think Tangerine Dream) before piano chords, building and fizzling out, are accompanied by a range of percussive noises and guitar riffs. It’s a monster! Then, from this complex monster we retreat to the relatively petite In My Mind, a two minute moment of respite, featuring primarily piano and light percussion, before swinging back to Chorus Alpha, another deep dive into the complexity of improvisation, this time showcasing the weird and wonderful Ondes Martenot analogue synthesiser. This clever mood-shifting contrast is used throughout, lending balance and a much needed attention retention, for example, the wavering moan of the Onde Martenot seduces our ears on Seven Days, like a sonic cleansing after the seven invigorating minutes of Evergreen. This track, with its menacing undercurrent (a textured white noise, like guitar feedback, that emerges around two minutes and then fades out again two minutes from the end) incorporates a range of instruments in its moody composition; bleak, challenging and bloody brilliant.
This is truly progressive instrumental music, packed with Jazz rhythms, ephemeral melody and singular sounds. As an improvised recording they may have captured their perfect moment together; a memorable fusion. With Ott and Gabry having already worked together (in Snowdrops and more recently Theodore Wild Ride) clearly Le Bliguet’s contribution has added a fresh new dynamic.
BONUS: listen to their special Mixcloud selection Our world in 30 tracks