Masashi Harada Condanction Ensemble - Enterprising Mass Of Cilia (2004) Mp3

Led and "condanctioned" by "pianist-percussionist-dancer-visual artist" Mashashi Harada, this extreme sounding conglomeration will make you want to tap your feet and snap your fingers -- but only if you reside in an insane asylum. For the rest of us, these nine highly abstract tracks will either repel or attract, or simply raise some eyebrows. There is no denying the originality and quality of performance. Harada describes "condanction" as a kind of choreographic connecting of conducting, dance and improvisation. The physical movements of the condanctor (in this case, Harada) stimulate the musicians to create sounds, which in turn affect the movements of the condanctor, and so forth. The resulting aural and visual display is best perceived live, of course, but the musical results found on this disc are fascinating in themselves. The ensemble includes trumpeter Greg Kelley, soprano saxophonist Bhob Rainey, among others, in which the instrumentalists use conventional and strange sounds, as well as vocal articulation to achieve the final product, which is naturally void of melody or tonal centers.