Sometimes one must allow the music to speak for itself. A pretty plausible mindset for sax/woodwind player Larry Stabbins (Working Week) when – after an extended period of sea faring – he cold called some of his fellow creme de la creme in music to form a bonkers new improv-band.
‘Bonkers’ being the operative word: joining Stabbins are Portishead’s Adrian Utley and Jim Barr, plus skinsman Seb Rochford (Sons of Kemet, Patti Smith) — all of them attuning their collective experience and proficiency to the symphony of mother nature — to become 137, a post-rock/noise jazz ensemble of the Weather Report, Dirty Three and Tortoise-variety.
The music itself – as heard on the aptly titled LP Strangeness Oscillation – is as adventurous and cacophonous as one would expect – witnessing these four hot shots primal screaming with their instruments into thrilling sonic unknowns will truly be one for the books.
