NELS CLINE

Going over the bandmates he's had over the years I did recognize the one bass player from his 1992 album "Silencer". Mark London Sims who I have on that "Tamna Voda" record by DARK from 1988. "Instrumentals" is a long one at almost 77 minutes with nine tracks. It doesn't exactly start off well for me as the first two songs are my least favourites on this record. I really get annoyed with the avant jazz guitar on those. It's not until that fifth track "Lowered Boom" that I'm into the music. It's a top three but I'm still not all in at this point as it's all about the guitar here.

"Lucia" is way too mellow for my tastes but "Ghost Of Pinata" is my second top three and I like the guitar here along with the rhythm section. Like "Lucia" I find that closer too mellow and it's eight minutes long. The one before it though "Blood Drawing" is my final top three and this is a beast at almost 15 1/2 minutes. We get pretty much over 7 minutes of experimental music to start on this one before it starts to build with the guitar leading, and by 9 1/2 minutes we get some high energy stuff to the end.

There's not much for me to enjoy here, and he's not the first guitarist who's style I'm just not into, but I'm so glad that I at least got to hear Nels and his unique playing.

Nels Cline played that time as Wilco member, and drummer Zach Hill - as Hella member. One day both bands were in Chicago, and Nels and Zach just recorded short session of their improvs there.

The result is very free-form well organized music/noise chaos. Hill's drumming is extremely technical and complex, and Cline's guitar sounds far from what you're expecting from just usual fusion guitar sound. Somewhere on very border between experimental fusion and avant-garde, this album is interesting listening for very experimental music lovers. Great technique, complex rhythm structures - and pure improvs. Don't expect melodies or any formal composition there though.