Trio HLK release their second album Anthropometricks, and it is an impressive musical tour de force.
Release date: Available now
Label: Ubuntu Music
Format: CD / Digital / Vinyl
Trio HLK is Rich Harrold, piano and synth, Ant Law, 8-string guitar, and Rich Kass, drums, crotales and auxiliary percussion. They are joined on their new album, Anthropometricks, by longtime collaborator, Dame Evelyn Glennie on vibraphone, marimba and auxiliary percussion, and Natalie Clein, cello, and vocalist Varijashree Venugopal.
This may only be the trio’s second album, but on display is a staggering level of musical maturity and confidence. The new album draws together elements from classical music and jazz, and all the compositions (by Rich Harrold, with Rich Kass writing the drum parts) are intriguingly grown from fragments of various jazz standards.
Anthropometricks, the title track, opens the album with an incredibly dynamic performance, featuring the remarkable vocal talents of Varijashree Venugopal. Here the inspiration is Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie’s Anthropology, with the instruments and vocals creating some breathtaking changes of time signature, signaling a sequence of contrasting musical moods. A striking element of the playing is the way Rich Kass’s drum and percussion parts function as a lead instrument. Varijashree Venugopal’s solo section is a master class, featuring a thrilling vocal improvisation, that creates a series of rhythmic and melodic contours, that have a vast emotional and musical power. Ant Law’s guitar solo travels from stately and understated, to florid, ringing phrases, and demands your attention for every note. An example of what a great guitar solo should deliver.
fIVe showcases Rich Harrold’s beautiful piano tone and dexterous playing. Melodic shards of piano are sprinkled over the insistent rhythms, employing the most nimble and agile of playing touches. Natalie Clein’s superb cello playing is a striking addition to the trio, adding in the final section a glorious wall of immersive sound.
Concertinas (for Bill), brings Dame Evelyn Glennie’s sublime playing into the musical mix. The ballad like composition deftly builds up layers of sound, as the cello and guitar swap stinging phrases. Dame Evelyn Glennie’s vibraphone engagingly accents the main theme and provides a flurry of intricate and encompassing sound in the free form section. These three opening pieces are a confident statement of musical intent that make it clear that Trio HLK and their musical partnerships on this album are providing something very special indeed.
Moving further into the album, Prelude, with its gently floating piano and vibraphone, and splashes of cymbal, is succeeded by the complex rhythmic structure of Flanagan’s Lament, which has a resonant feel of some of Frank Zappa’s most challenging jazz rock compositions.
Apostrophe (part I) features Dame Evelyn Glennie’s expansive use of a range of percussion to create a fabulously evocative soundscape, that will keep you going back to this track, to hear it again. It is quite wonderful. Apostrophe (part II) has a dazzling beginning, where Rich Kass and Dame Evelyn Glennie’s percussion work chases across Rich Harrold’s tender piano refrain, interrupted only by Ant Law’s repeating metal style guitar riff. A striking beginning that then moves forward into Rich Harrold’s solo piano section, which comprises some marvellous improvised runs. The precision ensemble playing that follows is both intense and passionate, ultimately evolving into a freeform coda. A magnificent piece of music.
Stellar, the final track, features Dame Evelyn Glennie on marimba. It has a progressive rock ambience, that evokes the Canterbury scene and King Crimson. There is a mesmerising intricacy to the collective playing, with seismic rhythmic shifts, fragments of melody, and quick-fire musical phrases. The guitar and marimba accents in addition provide some dramatic contrasts of musical emphasis, that add to the sense of a beautifully layered piece of music.
In summary, this new album is a musical tour de force, showcasing music imbued with inventiveness and ambition, that offers a truly engaging listening experience of real depth. The awe-inspiring interplay between the musicians is given a great soundstage, where it feels as if you are actually in the studio with the musicians. So, a great job by Garry Boyle in engineering and mixing the album. This album is very highly recommended.
View here, a video of the first track on the album, Anthropometricks, featuring Varijashree Venugopal:
For more information about Trio HLK: Website / Facebook / Instagram
Keep up with At The Barrier here on Facebook / X (formerly Twitter) / Instagram / Spotify / YouTube