OGOGO

"Redux" CD

III Records

Genre: free jazz, improv, atonal

Los Angeles, CA

Oct 2009

As a rather casual free-jazz enthusiast, I can't say I have much of a background in this sort of atonal guitar/electronic zaniness, although I like what I hear - which isn't necessarily that likely when you're working without melody or conventional rhythm. OGOGO's Rod Oakes (on MIDI trombone) and Igor Grigoriev (on guitar) furnish this extensive album with a moody and cinematic barrage of sound, avoiding the common noise-freakout approach for a clean but entirely inaccessible production. The main spectacle, a five-movement "OGOGO Serenade," is an intense and spacey improvisation, bringing to mind the sounds of Bill Laswell and Cluster, particularly in terms of atmosphere and spirit. The journey is a mesmerizing one, best suited to dim lights and an ingrained sense of unearthliness. Eerie background ambiance frames the trombone and guitar suitably, giving the recordings an important sense of depth and context. I will fully admit I'm not sure I "get" all this, but as an effective and startling moodpiece, Redux is undeniably engrossing.

OGOGO's myspace

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 13 tracks, distributed by the label, released 2009]