TREES SPEAK

This is studio album number six for this young duo out of Arizona. Both are multi-instrumentalists but they always have several musicians helping out. I have not heard the debut from 2017 but have the next five which were released in a little over 2 years. These five are all on Soul Jazz Records and man this band has been consistent. This is their latest called "Mind Maze" from 2023 and as usual we get a lot of short tracks and electronics really do standout over everything else but we get real drums and warmth from some of the other instruments. These guys have a formula that really does work for me.

I have them in my Electronic section but here they are under Krautrock which also makes sense. Motoric beats people! There is also German writing on the back cover and in the past they've had German song titles. Sixteen tracks and I have a top five. I must admit the electronics on "Mind Maze" the opener are a little too in my face but after that this album is all good to great.

"Sospetto" is track four and the first bright, feel good sounding piece. Subtle changes on this one and this is my first top five. "Illusions" follows that one and is also a top five and man I liked this maybe the most overall early on. So catchy! Next top five is "Rare Earth" which comes across as a TANGERINE DREAM meets PINK FLOYD session. And at 4 1/2 minutes the second longest tune which I'm glad for, I mean this one really does standout in various ways. That majestic ending, the beat-fest early, the way the atmosphere rises.

Next top five is "Pathways" and the floating organ early. Is that sampled birds chirping? Then heavy beats and atmosphere take over. A lone horn around 2 1/2 minutes then it builds. "Odyssey" is my final top five and this moves fairly slow but I like the upfront bass with flute, drums and electronics. Such a cool tune.

A solid 4 stars but in my opinion a step down from "Vertigo Of Flaws" their last one or even "PostHuman" and "Ohms". So yes maybe my fourth favourite at this point but man some competition here folks, like I said this band has been very consistent.

Time to ramble a bit as this is my final TREES SPEAK review and I'm so thankful to have discovered them and owe Hugues a "thanks!" for seeing him time and time again on multiple sites recommend this band. Once again we get this stew of Electronic Krautrock, Psychedelic, Soundtrack music and Miles Davis experimental-like stuff. Damian and Daniel Diaz are two intelligent musicians who named their band after a technology of putting data in trees believing trees communicate to each other. All you have to do is read their thoughts on music to realize these guys are on a different level. On that SHAMBLEMATHS level I'd say.

I reviewed their two albums from 2020 finding "Ohms" a tough nut to crack much like this one. "Shadow Forms" the other album from 2020 was easier to get into and felt like a companion record to "Ohms". In 2021 they released "PostHuman" which contains their most exciting music and reaches highs that the other records don't. Having said that "Vertigo Of Flaws" is everything I believe they have been shooting for. It's different in that the others are all 40 minute records while this is one 84 minute plus cd with 29 tracks. It took many spins to unlock it but man this is the one in my opinion. It's also the only one to actually have useful info in the liner notes. From nothing basically on the earlier three cds to pictures of the band and their instruments and lots of written info too. The total package right here.

"When communicating a musical idea, we often refer to musical diagrams to express dynamics, chords, key signatures, and emotional expression. These graphic notations are a template to communicate esoteric concepts, and musicians are free to improvise and perform within these parameters. We use this form of art expression during live performances and in-studio recordings. It is a simple way to explain an overarching idea without getting into too many details to capture a particular aesthetic." There are many examples of these diagrams in the thick liner notes which is really cool to study. So we get the duo plus five guests and Gabriel Sullivan really should be your third member guys come on! Pictures of the Diaz boys and Gabriel and the Dust & Stone recording studio are all appreciated. We get a quote from John Cage and other stuff that is way over my head. "Vertigo Of Flaws" was recorded in Brooklyn, New York, and Tuscon, Arizona during the plague of 2020 and 2021."

I feel like the drumming has been given more prominence here and it is outstanding. There's probably ten tracks that really standout for me including the opener "Seventh Mirror" a catchy tune driven by drums and bass. "Interference" has this jazz groove like NUCLEUS with the bass, beats and horn drones. Check out the drumming before 2 minutes. "Pyramid" again has this groove with excellent drum work. Bass and keyboards as well. "Optics" has these deep bass sounds with drums and atmosphere. Really good! It turns to electronics before 2 minutes then back to that powerful sound from before. "Stasi" has these sounds that pulse quickly as the bass joins in. It's building with drums joining in. Catchy stuff. Drums to the fore around 2 minutes then back to the previous sound.

"Violence Cascades" has vibes and piano along with atmosphere. This is haunting as drums arrive. Really interesting music here. Sounds like cello around 1 1/2 minutes. A great avant sounding piece. "Traumsprache" is a dark and experimental soundscape like part two of the previous tune. "Threnody" has trumpet expressions, electronics and drums. A Miles vibe 2 minutes in. "Mind Oscillation" has these sounds that pulse so fast as other sounds join in. This is like an electronic UNIVERS ZERO track. So good. "Hidden Machine" with that spacey sound with bass. Finally "Cloud Chamber" my final top ten with bass, trumpet expressions and piano as it plods along.

I have quit buying new music on-line once again after many problems. Funny I think in the ten years I ordered music I had one issue during that time. Over a few months I have had many issues so I have stopped and will enjoy what I have. Looking forward to the 35 or so cds from 2018 to 2022 that I did buy though. These four TREES SPEAK cds were over 2 months getting to me as the order got lost. So glad they came! Great way to end my run.

4.5 stars. I feel that this duo are only getting better. I reviewed their two releases from 2020 both solid 4 star albums where the electronics dominates but I love that we get real drums, guitar, bass, trumpet, keys and more. They have guests come in adding their talents on many of these instruments. So I feel "PostHuman" beats the two 2020 releases as they seem to get more melodic and less experimental although there is plenty of the latter. Less melancholic as well. I just feel there are way more highs on this one. And while they don't offer a track that is even 4 minutes long these 16 songs blend into each other in fact the next song usually is playing before my player shows it moving to the next track. A seamless piece that recreates that electronic based Krautrock of the late 60's and early 70's and yet I've noticed right from "Ohms" to "Shadow Forms" to "PostHuman" that they do not sound derivative at all.

I want to talk about the three tracks that were love at first listen. "Glass" just sounds amazing when the sequencers join the opening experimental soundscape. This is intense. Drums a minute in as I'm just bobbing along. Guitar joins in next as they are killing it here. Electronics over top and what sounds like mellotron. "Scheinwelt" one of a few German titles is right there with "Glass" with how incredible it sounds. Urgent is the word and driving with those dark sounds with drums, guitar, bass and electronics leading the way. It's building after 1 1/2 minutes. Great track! "Healing Rods" again clicked with me right away but it's not as good as the first two in my opinion. Spacey winds are joined by acoustic guitar then electronic beats and drums before a minute. This just seems to get fuller as it plays out.

I also really enjoyed the closer "Glaserner Mensch" for the depth and darkness. Experimental with trumpet expressions, pretty cool. "Divided Light" appeals to me for what sounds like vibes although they echo so... but drums and experimental sounds. Really good. "Elements Of Matter" is catchy and mid paced with bass, drums, experimental sounds and atmosphere. "Steckdose" is another highlight and I like the way this changes as it plays out. The tempo shifts too and we get some heaviness and a calm. I'm not as big on the opener "Double Slit" and "X Zeit" although they are channeling NEU! with those two very catchy and almost danceable tunes. The NEU! connection helps me to appreciate these two. I had to smile at "Incandescent Sun" because of "Lightbulb Sun" and there's actually a FLOYD vibe there.

Man I've enjoyed this band so much and the electronics that I've added a half dozen Electronic albums to listen to this Summer which is supposed to be my Psychedelic Summer.

This is studio album number three for TREES SPEAK out of Arizona and the second one of 2020 released less than 6 months after "Ohms". Not a lot to choose between the two records as we get that Soundtrack Music/ Krautrock/ Electronic style with trumpet expressions bringing Miles Davis to mind. Just a cool sounding record much like "Ohms" and maybe there's more sequencers on this one and less real drums. Motorik is the word at times. These really feel like companion albums to my ears.

So much good music here and the vibes on "Tear Kisser" is a highlight with the electronics and beats. Trumpet too at 1 1/2 minutes. "Transforming" is mid-paced and melancholic with piano and a lot of atmosphere. Headphone music. "Automat" might be my favourite with the electronic beats being joined by a haunting atmosphere. Then heavy beats which sound so good. Crank this one. "Crystal System" is very spacey to start then beats and trumpet expressions are added as it plods along. Atmosphere too joins in. It's haunting and sparse late to end it.

"Agonize Signal" opens with deep bass electronics that slowly howl as other sounds join in. Some spooky female vocal expressions arrive before 2 minutes but not for long. "Magick Knives" has these fast paced electronic beats with this light synth melody that comes and goes. Deep sounds and atmosphere join in. The sound will change slightly as this plays out. A dog is barking. Trumpet expressions. Sequencers get louder and the trumpet blasts and I'm thinking TD meets Miles right there. The closer and title track is a surprising 8 minutes long and fits right in with what's gone on before.

A really strong album and a duo that continues to impress me. Some excellent guests help out with bass, trumpet and more. So glad I discovered this band.

Hey if you want to hear a modern instrumental take on bands like CAN, NEU!, CLUSTER, Brian Eno, early KRAFTWERK and the like you need to check this brother duo out. I'd also mention the more modern RADIO MASSACRE INTERNATIONAL as a reference. The Diaz brothers are from Arizona and while those seventies acts are good comparisons these two guys have made this music their own. Inspired by these legendary bands but sounding surprisingly original. I was curious as well to see them on the Soul Jazz label out of Soho, London but that company had decided to add some electronica bands to their label. To quote the band "Our intention is to create music with an unrehearsed minimalist approach performing simple beats, riffs and sequences to take one inward." Two multi-instrumentalists but mostly a drum/electronics duo who add six guests here with bass, guitar, trumpet and sax. The latter plays organ and keyboards as well. Not a lot of information in the liner notes on any of their albums and I get it, they want to make it about the music. While the Electronic sub-genre would fit this band I'm glad they are in Krautrock it's a good fit.

So an almost 44 minute album with 17 songs but many of these songs blend into the next without a gap. A melancholic album over all with the electronics dominating but I love that they mixed the drums up high in the sound. It just sounds surprisingly good this way in contrast to the electronic beats. A good example is the opener "Soul Sequencer" and it's the longest at 5 minutes. The drums arrive before 2 minutes and I'm shouting "Here we go!". Prior to this synths hover and pulse before electronic beats arrive along with guitar expressions as it builds.

Some really nice bass on this album from Gabriel Sullivan who pops up on most if not all of their albums. And I have to mention those trumpet expressions and sounds that bring RMI to mind who I mentioned earlier. The sax is also inventive and if it's him playing the electric piano on a few tracks then thanks man! After my first two spins I realized it's going to take some time to unlock this one and it was probably the sixth spin that it started to stick. Love that run from track seven to track thirteen along with the closer. So much adventerous stuff in there plus the electric piano and horns.

I have to mention "Sadness In Wires" just a feel good song with the drums, bass, electronics and more that build. "Sleep Crime" is great and how about those trumpet expressions. Amazing sound too with the next track "Knowing This" with a jazzy vibe. Electric piano, steady beats, atmosphere, bass and more. "Splendid Sun" is a beautiful and spacey tune. "Out Of View" reminds me of early FLOYD with the sinister bass line and dark sound. And I do like that closer "Witch Wound" for the horn, electric piano and that it turns powerful late.

This has really grown on me. I'm a huge fan of these two and look forward to listening to their next three albums over the coming weeks.

Obviously being relatives, Daniel Martin Diaz and Damian Diaz from Tucson, Arizona, are representing the TREES SPEAK core. They are showing a rather interesting concept, which is composed by a symbiosis of vintage and future-oriented. I mean, on the one hand, musically this is deeply influenced by the prior Krautrock phase. And then, the band name says it all by the way, the whole project is also referring to a somewhat (still?) fictional approach. Which is dealing with biotechnologies that will store processed data in plants. Hence, to be expected, the overall sound should fit this boundaries in some way or another, or what? They are delivering a collection of 17 mostly short downtempo sound sketches, snippets, running with a range from one to five minutes, which in total makes a vinyl length. And this, since having produced their debut in 2017, is a deliberated approach, comes as a distinct trademark.

How does it sound? 1960/70s rooted German crews meet modern neo krautrock followers - Neu!, Cluster, early Kraftwerk ... and Hedersleben, Lumerians, Electric Orange in the same way, to name some culled band references. TREES SPEAK are supported by several like-minded musicians here. Though unfortunately I could not yet reveal who plays which instrument. Acoustic drums, diverse guitars, bass, synthesizer, organ, Mellotron, saxophone repectively clarinet, that's what I could determine somehow, when it comes to the used stuff. The general flow, I'm sure there is a deeper sense intended. Hallucinative, looping impressions and hynotic motoric rhythms are merged. No random track order, I would say, most of them are cross-fading.

For example the triple Nitrous Cross, Shadow Circuit and Blame Shifter, this comes perfectly arranged, makes my day especially. I'm delighted, still. Simple however evocative sequencer lines and melancholic synth patterns give me the shivers. In its entirety this appears to be entertaining and brimful of ideas. Not a copy-cat case of the good old times. Yeah, rooted in the past, though equipped with contemporary sound quality and composing attitude. Just take the prominent and album closing Witch Wound including jazzy saxophone snippets, very much in the vein of neo krautrockers Electric Orange. This one appears on an extra bonus single, if you are deciding to purchase the vinyl version from the associated Soul Jazz Records label. This music grows on me with every listen. Definitely a soothing sound experience. 4.5 stars.