Nik Bärtsch's Ronin - Awase (ECM/"Zen Funk")

[A Car With No Doors]

I've really been enjoying this album recently: I suppose that it could be very loosely compared to The Necks in how it is 'jazz' in terms of instrumentation only, but their two styles are very different. In my opinion, The Necks have a more fluid, free-flowing, weightless approach at points, whereas this album seems more dedicated to tight, almost rigid patterns.  Bärtsch seems to refer to the sound as either "zen funk" or "ritual groove music", which seems fitting as the tracks here (or "moduls") are wonderful in how each instrument slips in and out of sync with each other. Here's two tracks from the album:

Modul 58: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0TjS9P5ONI

Modul 36: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yGBi867NT8

It could be argued that parts of the album are soporific in an elevator music kind of way (and I'd agree to an extent), but the rhythmic interplay the band pulls off is very pleasing to me. What do you lot think?

[purlieu]

I haven't listened to it all the way through yet (I'm generally working my way through the ECM catalogue in vaguely chronological order and am still at the turn of the '80s - I'll get through to the present in the early 2020s at this rate), but I do like the clips, and really enjoy the 2008 album Holon, so I might be persuaded to give this one a proper listen out of order.

[A Car With No Doors]

I haven't listened to it all the way through yet (I'm generally working my way through the ECM catalogue in vaguely chronological order and am still at the turn of the '80s - I'll get through to the present in the early 2020s at this rate), but I do like the clips, and really enjoy the 2008 album Holon, so I might be persuaded to give this one a proper listen out of order.

Haha, I think I remember you documenting it a bit in the old What Are You Listening To? thread and it being really interesting, although the main thing that comes to mind right now that you didn't like Jan Garbarek's kazoo noises that much. Your level of dedication to working through all that music is commendable!

ECM in general seems like a really interesting label, with lots of stuff I'd want to check out: Art Ensemble of Chicago, Old and New Dreams, Jarrett and so on. Jazz in general is a very daunting genre as somebody who's only recently started dipping their toes in, because there's so much wonderful music of all eras. I am planning to work backwards from this album, so I'll end up getting to Holon eventually!

[purlieu]

Yes, I still really struggle with Garbarek's goose playing a kazoo tone, but overall it's an interesting journey. I've had a skip through various bits from over the years in the past, and I know that getting into the '80s is an interesting point as this is when the label really begins to branch out into classical, 'world', avant-garde, soundtracks and very bizarre chamber line-ups put together by Manfred.

It's only recently I've been getting into jazz myself and as someone whose taste in music generally sits on the lush / melodic / atmospheric end of things, ECM feels like the best way for me to go about it. There's definitely a fair bit of free jazz in the early years which I struggled with, but also a striking amount of really beautiful music that I'm loving. Jarrett has so many wonderful albums, as do Ralph Towner, Stephan Micus and Eberhard Weber so far.

[pancreas]

Weirdly enough I also have Holon and very much like it. It's not massively intellectual, but it's appealing enough aesthetically. Very useful for winding things down at the end of a party. I shall try this new album.