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CD
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HELLO 026CD
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Multi-faceted artist Daze Maxim aka Marcus Manowski presents Rising/Falling, his second full-length work following his 2000 debut album Same Place the Bot Got Smashed. The album's title refers to meditative breathing exercises, in which Manowksi developed an interest around the same time as the album's conception. This additional balance and clarity allowed the album to develop harmoniously, and paved the way for completion. There is also a nod to reflexivity; though this discipline provided necessary solace, it also demanded greater engagement. The overall aesthetic is unquestionably true to the minimal framework Manowski has meticulously crafted since his debut in 2000. In a playground of intermittent tempo and hybrid organic electronica, harmony builds while dissonance prevails. There is maturity and guts in the selection and delivery of each part's piece in the puzzle, and a true viral beauty as it gains momentum. What is immediately striking about the album in full is its brooding space and progression. From ambient tones and warped classic synths to rigorous live instrumentation, the sonic palette enriches as the odyssey continues. Recalling a camera lens drifting in and out of focus, Manowski toys with periodic collapse and elongated movements, but always pulls the listener back through percussive punctuation. The collaborations featured on the album occurred naturally, though the sessions played out differently. Sloth's unique trumpet work on the opener is an entirely improvised workout without specific key or time signatures. In contrast, Yonatan, a classically trained jazz musician from Tel Aviv now residing in NYC, added bowed and fingered double bass to an already arranged work. Finally, the piece with Bruno Pronsato became a re-imagination of a previous live composition under their Others moniker. Each partnership subtly enriches the spectrum, though never overtaking Manowski's position at the helm. Haunting every intimate beat and phrase is a true jazz sensibility. A diligent yet self-taught student of composition and theory, Manowski's brilliance lies within his persistent tightrope-walk of texture and melody. Rising/Falling is as intrinsically musical and direct as is gets, and the outcome is elegantly unsettling.
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