Dan Kurfirst - Arkinetics (2022)

There are many cultures that use repetitive, percussive music to induce meditative states. In cultures as diverse as those in Asia, the Middle East, and West Africa, the drum has been used to weave entrancing patterns that move the body and mind. Drummer/composer Dan Kurfirst has been studying the drums, rhythms, and their combined effects on the body and mind. His new recording, Arkinetics, provides a fascinating encapsulation of his study of global rhythms, free improvisation, and engaging production.

The New York City-born and raised Kurfirst grew up playing drums, mainly interested in rock and hip-hop music. In his twenties, the young drummer discovered jazz and began his path through New York’s Downtown improv community. Kurfirst’s interests broadened into the study of world music, especially the percussive elements of Middle Eastern and West African music, including the adaptation of West African rhythms to the drum kit with master drummer royal hartigan.

Kurfirst practices daily meditation, clearing his mind and allowing a deeper focus on matters he finds most important. Meditation led to a focus on musical compositions, whether they stem from a drum pattern, a bassline, or piano melody that Kurfirst could flesh out into a full piece. This was how many of the pieces on Arkinetics were born. Looking back to his fascination with hip-hop’s ability to draw listeners in with the most basic of rhythmic information, Kurfirst made the rhythm section the center of his attention.

Compositions began to flesh themselves out over periods of study and reflection. As a drummer first, Kurfirst began to approach the other instruments, especially the piano and bass, as other types of drums. He began to write parts for bass and piano to add other layers to his drum ensemble.

The name Arkinetics combines the words architecture and kinetics. This refers directly to kinetic architecture, where there are moving parts within a larger structure that do not compromise the integrity of the overall structure. Musically, this speaks to the individual parts played by the musicians coming together in effort to make a full composition.

To perform these functions in the music, Kurfirst brought in bassist Damon Banks and Alexis Marcelo on Fender Rhodes, both collaborators with Adam Rudolph. Drawn to the textures and colors of Indian classical music, Kurfirst invited tabla player Roshni Samlal to add another percussive dimension to the music. Finally, Kurfirst asked Downtown improv legend Daniel Carter to add his own highly thematic free improvisations into the mix. The overall sound of predetermined compositions with freely played improvisations bring the eclectically exploratory Miles Davis’s electric bands to mind.

Much of the beauty found in stimulating music is in its ability to blend simplicity and complexity into unique aural experience. Dan Kurfirst finds this balance on his brilliant new recording, Arkinetics.