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Saturday, April 13, 2013

John Zorn - Locus Solus (USA 1983)

The John Zorn Discography no.5




This looks to be John Zorn's first release that is not one of his Game Pieces although musically it sounds like it fits in well with the style of those earlier pieces. I have had this CD for a considerable time but due to the difficult nature of the music, I haven't given it a lot of attention. This set of 38 short pieces was recorded during 3 different sessions with a different line up on each occasion and you can notice the differences between each session. The first set I don't enjoy as much mainly due to the slightly treated vocals/narrative which sounds a little creepy to me. I find the third set to be more interesting with some impressive sounds seeping out of the musical chaos. Like most of John Zorn's early stuff there isn't much here in the way of conventional tunes or melody. It is very experimental and avant-garde. There are rewards for careful attention to the complex detail but it doesn't sit too well foe casual listening and can be quite a task to sit through the whole lot at one sitting. I do find many of the pieces stand up well isolated on their own when I hear them played on a Zorn Mix playlist and I have always enjoyed this album more than the earlier game pieces.Rating 2.5/5.

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