PSCD3 - Danketsu 9 - Towards a Walk in the Sun

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A unified nontet, led by saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi, Danketsu 9 returns after their stunning 2018 cassette Thahrass, with a more ragged horizon. Towards a Walk in the Sun is a dense, dynamic, and entrancing uninterrupted 47-minute live composition recorded at the Heartbeat House in June of 2018. Swirling and sticky strings yawn and gasp, fluttering flute and voice dance in the light, and Shiroishi’s saxophone cries, both maudlin and tender, blowing through the ashes.  A finely braided strand of interwoven shambolic free jazz raga, apocalyptic post-rock dread, and neoclassical future-weary dirge, the album sways between sublime melody and looming tension. The group’s chemistry is undeniable as they move about this expanse, giving space for each performer to leave their mark in the moment. Shimmering guitar and flute trills sputter over thick coils of melody and then fall apart into tattered but glittering debris; a cool thumby bass solo punctuated by percussive thumps appears in the rubble. The track title, translated, “One fire goes out, another goes burning,” perfectly captures the openness here; flames lick everything, some surfaces more susceptible to scorching than others. Ash is a rich nutrient for fresh sprouts to poke through.

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Ang Wilson - flute 
Dylan Fujioka - accordion & percussion 
Jason Adams - cello 
Ken Moore - double bass 
Kelly Coats - flute 
Mallory Soto - voice 
Noah Guevara - guitar 
Patrick Shiroishi - alto & tenor saxophones 
Pauline Lay - violin