SOUNDTRACK: THOR HARRIS & JOYFUL NOISE PLAYERS-Is Adam Ok? (2020).
I have been aware of Thor Harris for years. He’s played in bands that I like and he’s played with musicians I like.
He’s an amazing all-around musician, even if his first/main instrument is drums/percussion.
Thor is also a craftsman–making his own instruments and all manner of other things.
So, when Joyful Noise Records announced that he was their artist in residence this year, I definitely wanted to see what he would come up with.
And so, he has created a 6 LP box set. And by created, I mean he created the boxes (not the record sleeves, I don’t think) by hand and hand colored each one. he also drew the album covers.
The first album in the collection (according to the list on the back) is this one, Is Adam OK.
The basis for this recording is this:
When musicians are working on a “song” or a specific “piece”, they are using a certain part of their conscious brains. But before the super narcissistic band leader shows up and takes the reins, they will often hang out making stream-of-consciousnesses music that is often more interesting than the conscripted “songs”.
I really enjoyed this observation about virtuosos and about himself
Interesting things happen when a musician is playing out of her comfort zone. This can be achieved by playing an instrument that you don’t usually play or by playing out of your usual genre. If you hand a guy an electric guitar and he grew up on rock and roll, the outcome is somewhat predictable at this point, mimicry of 50 years of rock and blues players. This is why virtuosos are boring to watch after a few minutes of amazement. I cannot count the number of times I’ve been asked to “play dumber” when recording drum tracks. I spent much of my youth learning hot drum licks, then my early 20s learning not to ever do them.
The first song, “Is Adam OK?” is a 22 minute improv piece.
On “Is Adam OK?” I sat at the piano prepared with sweaters across the strings. Virtuoso, multi-instrumentalist, super-freak Greg Saunier sat beside me at the piano and off into the abyss we wandered for 22 minutes.
The musicians are Thor Harris – piano, xylophone, bass drum; Greg Saunier – piano, vibraphone, bass drum; Jasamine White-Gluz – organ; Sima Cunningham – vocals; Macie Stewart – vocals; Adam Harding – vocals, field recordings, toilet flushing; C.J. Boyd – bass guitar, vocals; Daniel Smith – vocals; Kid Millions – seed husks
The piece starts with repeated piano motif. You can hear the “mistakes” as they hit the “wrong” note or go out of time, but that’s sort of the point of this piece. Around seven minutes, the vocalists start singing like the middle of Pink Floyd’s “Atom Heart Mother.” I rather like when, around 8 minutes, the percussion comes in and then the bass drum at 10 minutes adds a whole new layer of texture. By 21 minutes the piece has circled back to the quiet opening with just piano and xylophone. And it all ends with a flushing toilet
The second track, “Kindest Regards Mr Mapfumo” is 11 minutes long and feels a little less improvised.
I started “Kindest Regards Mr Mapfumo” hoping for a Steve Reich kind of 12/8 piece, but ended up with a Thomas Mapfumo kind of 12/8. A pleasant misstep. The driving instrument is an electric tongue drum that I built. I will soon put instructions for building one yourself on Instagram. I ran it thru an Old Blood chorus/delay/distortion pedal.
Thor Harris – electric tongue drum, Casio organ, marimba; Sarah “Goat” Gautier – organ; Jasamine White-Gluz – guitar; C.J. Boyd – double bass; Sima Cunningham – vocals; Macie Stewart – vocals; Marina Tadic – vocals, güiro; Adam Harding – vocals, Mellotron, guitar, güiro
The tongue drum sounds like a modifed (loud) jaw harp–a cool vibrating sound. OHMME add some unusual vocals to the song and then a double bass comes in to ground it somewhat. Around half way through you can totally get lost on all of the various waves of sound that wash over the tongue drum, which feels aboriginal by this point.
The vocals around the 8 minute mark are just lovely–intertwining “do do dos” that flow around almost like an Esquivel space-age-bachelor-pad vocal line.
The third song “Grief Comes in Waves” is 9 minutes and is much more creepy.
On “Grief Comes in Waves”, Andy Stack, Monk Parker and I played layer upon layer of sax and clarinet in 7 minute slabs. We added some other bits and bobs, then sent them to others to have their way with them. Jad Fair, Ohmme, and Adam added things I never would have thought of.
Thor Harris – clarinet, kalimba, organ Andy Stack – alto saxophone, marimba Monk Parker – baritone saxophone, marimba Jad Fair – vocals Sima Cunningham – vocals Macie Stewart – vocals Adam Harding – vocals
The kalmiba and marimba make for some lovely echoing sounds , but its the repeated clarinet and saxophone rumbles and blasts combining with the low organ that create a field of tension. The vocals are more keening than singing and help to build the air of discomfort. There’s even growling sound which could be a human voice or an instrument.
However around half way through, OHMME start singing some syncopated notes and it adds a feeling of hopefulness, somehow. But the feeling of despair returns by the end, effectively demonstrating the waves of grief.
This is not easy listening, but then, one shouldn’t expect that from Thor Harris.
[READ: February 24, 2020] An Ocean of Despair
This is a short, illustrated story by Thor Harris. Although I guess it’s not really a story so much as a telling of a low point in his life.
He says in 1992 he left Austin for San Francisco. He hoped to recover his “Self-esteem and love for life.” But instead he became terrified of social interaction. It became so bad he woke up with tunnel vision. He also began having panic attacks which made it hard for him to work.
He felt suicide would be an escape from the misery, an act of mercy.
In a moment of clarity he called his older sister. She always made him feel like he was okay. She brought him back to Texas, told him about depression (the disease) and thought that he might be able to get treatment. (more…)
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