CD – Rat

Our initial impressions of this intricate and suggestive work were of electroacoustic improvisations melding with jazz influences. These elaborations have been produced by an ensemble that goes under the moniker of The Bureau of Atomic Tourism, a collective of six whose leader is Teun Verbruggen, a Belgian drummer of the free form school. The music was created by arranging recordings of performances given by the combo at Follow The Sound Festival in Antwerp. Andrew d’Angelo plays saxophone and bass clarinet on all of the album’s seven tracks (three of which are based on improvisations and the rest are d’Angelo’s compositions). We must also mention Nate Wooley on trumpet, Marc Ducret on guitar, Trevor Dunn on bass and Jozef Dumoulin on Fender Rhodes, as well as Verbruggen whose plays a smattering of electronic elements in addition to his drums. The abstract BOAT improvisations have a pronounced cinematic flavor and are highly technical, creating an involving experience for the listener. The soundscape also features a number of melancholic moments that feel inspired by a certain nocturnal avant-garde jazz approach. There is an overriding softness to the album and none of the elements prevail over any other: here the listener is given the opportunity to experience a formal fruition in perennial balance, not one restricted by an isolated sound system.

The Bureau Of Atomic Tourism – Second Law Of Thermodynamics