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HIM | Our Point Of Departure

Doug Scharin mixes dub with Miles Davis seventies jazz!
LP, Perishable/Fat Cat

Tekst: Bas Ickenroth

Publicatiedatum: 15 november 2000

First of all, this isn't that Finnish pathetic gothic wannabe's called Him. This is HIM, the project of Doug Scharin, drummer of June of 44 and Out in Worship. No gothic poprock miscarriages, but long instrumental tracks consisting of jazz, dub and electronic soundscapes. This is the fourth HIM release, and at least as good as the last year's 'Sworn Eyes'. Apart from masterdrummer Doug Scharin - who is also responsible for percussion, electronics, production and mix, and driving force for HIM - this album contains Fred Erskine (June of 44) on bass, trumpet, keyboard and guitar, Carlo Cennamo (The Boom) on tenor sax and keyboard, Jon Theodore (Royal Trux) on percussion and keyboard, and Sean Meadows (June of 44) on guitar. Unfortunately, Rob Mazurek, known of his cornetwork with Isotope 217 and Chicago Underground Duo and also HIM's 'Sworn Eyes', isn't present on this recording. But that's more for me personally because I love to hear him play: after all, this album does contain plenty of elements to make it worthwile. HIM's music is best compared with Miles Davis' work in the early seventies (you know, classics like 'Dark Magus' and 'Get up with it'): long improvisations with the emphasis on groove and atmosphere. To these jazzy improvisations HIM adds many dub-influences with hypnotizing echo- and delay-effects, and somewhat latin-a-like percussionpatterns. The jazz meets dub collaboration is best heard in 'Weary not beaten': a dubreggea rhythm with virtuous drumming, echoeing guitars, and a fantastic jazzy tenor sax making it complete. The songs are in essence all improvisations and electronically treated afterwards, and the endresult is for me a modern day jazz record as it should be. No clean fusion elements, no puristic self-indulgence, but beautiful, raw improvisations which are often unexpected melodic. All the musicians are playing very inspired, and the recordings contain that freshness that can observed when the musicians have had a great time. This is a must-have for people who love modern jazz with an edge. And by the way, go for the vinyl edition, it contains an extra song.

http://www.kindamuzik.net/recensie/him/our-point-of-departure/194/
Meer HIM op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/him