Jim Denley, Martin Ng - Vergency (2001)

Flutist/saxophonist Jim Denley and turntablist/noise maker Martin Ng make a strange pair. Their music follows the path of avant-gardist deconstruction and free improv interaction, yet the results are anything but expected. Ng's sped-up records, deeply altered grooves, and skipping CDs are reminiscent of Erik M and Martin Tétreault's art, except for the fact that he cares less about textural environments. Ng attacks, he sends a salve of needle skids, popping, and cut-up sounds which Denley tries to match, something that is not the easiest thing to do. The fact that he uses free jazz records as part of his arsenal doesn't help his partner's job -- he also has to compete against (compose with) mutilated sax solos. Which horn is "real"? Does it matter? The opening track, "Blindsight," starts with what sounds like a saxophone solo slowed down to a crawl. Ng expertly creates a melody from these vinyl manipulations, but where is Denley? Is he responsible for that flute-breathing sound? The listener can have a lot of fun trying to determine who does what. It only goes to Denley's credit that he can blend in so perfectly. Other tracks stick closer to the usual duet format, especially "Flexure," where one can appreciate the uniqueness of the saxophonist's vocabulary (somewhere between Evan Parker and John Butcher, although not quite one or the other). Vergency is a difficult record (Ng's brutal attacks and racing needles can unnerve), but its rewards compensate the effort.