The Atlanta underground is burgeoning, a buried treasure
ready to leap out and shout “Surprise!”
Case in point is label Fall Break Records, a label that traffics in “pop,
experimental and psychedelic music.” The
imprint’s latest release is a self-titled cassette from Dachsund, the out-jazz
duo of Peter Webb (sax, synth) and John Gregg (drums). These two are part of a wider outsider world,
both participating in the post-genre nonet Faun and a Pan Flute (check out the
double LP on Feeding Tube, why dontchya?!).
Having been piloting their craft within similar orbits since 2010, Webb
and Gregg are tuned into each other as master improvisers are apt to be, and this
pair of live sets – imprinted onto a spool of magnetic tape nestled within the
confines of a yellow cassette shell – epitomizes this phenomenon.
The A side is ushered in on a synth chord that rises above
the din of the audience, around which a languorous saxophone slithers. Melodies unfurl, timidly at first, until a
floor tom gallops into earshot. At this
point, the pair lock horns and begin to telepathically release a collective
energy that bobs and weaves, spins and twirls, and flat out leaps around the
room. That such a sparse arrangement can
contain such fiery intensity is mystifying.
The set closes as it opened, fading into single synthetic chord.
On the flip, the opening synth passage unfurls melodically, a
smoky mist that wafts about with an increasing thickness. Gregg’s drumming kicks in furiously before
Webb picks up his sax and gingerly begins laying down droning notes. The almost spiritual way that the pair change
modes – from extremely vigorous to outright melodic and sweet – is captivating. It begs mention that both of these sets were
recorded direct to iPhone, and this fact is just baffling! The live-in-the-room essence, the spontaneity
and the puissance have been faithfully captured for the universe to enjoy.
Only 30 physical copies of this bomb tape exist, so direct
your own energy toward the Fall Break Records Bandcamp and prepare to be shell-shocked!
