Phil Minton & Roger Turner - Drainage (2013)

It had been ten years since Phil Minton and Roger Turner's previous offering, the short CD Dada Da released by Leo Records in 1993. So Drainage, a double-disc affair, is certainly not superfluous, especially considering that Minton and Turner have been working together -- as a duo or within larger groups -- on a regular basis in the intervening decade. Their approach has not really changed, but that is only because both improvisers constantly find new techniques and discover fresh sounds. It is particularly true of Turner, a percussionist with an enormous amount of imagination. Disc one presents 56 minutes worth of fresh studio material in the form of 14 short pieces recorded in two sessions in September 2002 and February 2003. The format is akin to Dada Da, but the sound quality has considerably improved (thanks to the improviser-friendly engineer Steve Lowe and his Gateway Studios). The music is highly focused and condensed (which doesn't mean it is relentlessly dense, mind you), still profoundly Dadaist but a bit more abstract. In many pieces Minton sticks to very specific areas of his sonic vocabulary, while Turner gets the most out of only one or two percussive objects. In a few pieces and most notably in "No Way," Turner uses recipients filled with water, thus embedding the title of the set into the music and opening a door on the irony and silliness that often grace Minton's projects -- also giving it away is a quote from one Art Délouge in the booklet: "Oh drainage, oh drainage, take me away. Drainage: you're here to stay." Disc two culls recordings from two concerts and here the duo becomes much more expansive, expressive, and wild. "Civil" is a continuous 33-minute performance from the 2002 Freedom of the City Festival. The remainder of the disc comes from a French concert in 1998. From the latter, the 23-minute "Adequate" provides the craziest moments (which are the most satisfying to this reviewer but may very well be the most annoying to you). A stellar release, highly recommended.