Search - Nmperign :: 2nd

A Jazz Paradigm Shifter (4/5)

M. Starr | Kansas City | 03/15/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Every so often my paradigms completely shift directions in music. It's almost like a metamorphosis I have to go through to weed out all the same old stuff I've heard a hundred times over the last few years. Sometimes I just need to move on to greener pastures in search of something that will re-inspire my passion for music. Inevitably, I'm always intrigued by where these changes take me and what doors are opened in the process.



My new inspiration lately has been jazz, but not the type of jazz you and I are familiar with. Nmperign are not your typical jazz outfit. They are an East Coast duo that are pushing the envelope of the genre to the end of the earth and then flicking it off the edge. Although I've been listening to them for a while now, I never realized that I've not listened to them outside of my home...until today. The truth is that it's pretty distracting to listen to this music when those around you are trying to carry on with their daily lives. You'll need complete solitude to be able to fully involve yourself with this music.



Nmperign are a very spacious and quiet (yet sometimes noisy) duo of jazz deconstructionists. When there are spaces of sound, the environment around you becomes a part of the music. In some cases this is good because it can add depths to the music and make the experience different each time. Admittedly, though, it can also be a bit distracting. But, if you are a creative person you can probably think of some great places to listen to this type of stuff.



Nevertheless, Nmperign's music is some of the most interesting I've heard in a long time. It's the most peculiar "jazz" you'll find on just about any continent of the planet. It can be an educational experience listening to how these instruments get used and abused. Imagine if you will, removing all the components of a saxophone and/or trumpet (Nmperign play both) and laying all the pieces on the floor to examine: like a diagram. In the most basic sense, that is what Nmperign sounds like. They have taken the core components of several jazz instruments and deconstructed them down to almost nothing. Some of the sounds that are made here are blatantly funny, but they are also entirely original.



With This Is Nmperign's Second CD, Bhob Rainey and Greg Kelley make it so you can hear every particle of sound they produce. Every ounce of spit or air that is pushed through these instruments comes through the speakers in stunning colors and textures. Occasional noise loops by friend Jason Lescalleet and spazz-outs of voice accompany these instruments. You'd almost think they were trying to imitate a duck or other animals with some of the sounds they create. But as you'll soon hear, the deconstructing of what we've known as linear (or even abstract) jazz has been pushed to the limits even further than before. This is improvisation at its most extreme, yet it's somehow very important at the same time.



This Is Nmperign's Second CD, like all their others, is a bizarre journey into music's deep dark closets. It is work that is completely original and doing its own thing. Many may write it off as bizarre noise garbage, but as I continue to search for music that is both unusual and inspiring to me, I can't help but hear Nmperign's contributions and feel that a large portion of today's music is completely bland and unimaginative. I won't lie and say this is the type of album that will create a certain amount of comfort or nostalgia, but it undoubtedly shows that there is more to music out there than we currently know possible."

Focused Absurdity

M. Starr | 05/31/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Nmperign's 2nd is a good indication of where the future of improvised music is headed. Sharp, crystalline fractures of sound, with fragments of disembodied melody meted out in small amounts. "Laughter of Birds Bloody Mud" adds tapeloop maestro Jason Lescalleet creating a dense wall of disintegrating noise, while the guests on "The Moon Is A Clear Mark of Midnight" (shakuhachi and percussion) make for an almost orchestral lushness. I managed to catch them live a few months back and their live set was really tight. Given their focus and seriousness onstage, I thought they might be a bit pretentious, but I talked with them a bit after the show and in fact they are ridiculous characters (showing a mild predilection for off-color humor and absurd antics)! Great stuff - check it out!"