Basil Kirchin

Worlds Within Worlds

★★★

I have not ever heard of Basil Kirchin or listened to anything he's been involved with. But I can say, if the rest of his music sounds similar to this; perhaps there's something to indulge in. Not with frequency or strong fondness but more to do with my curiosity and magnetic appreciation of all things organic. And this type of organic mutation is a bit of a secretive monstrosity, looming in the depths and darkness which the jungle holds under its vast canopy. The title for the album is pretty apt, the creation of another musical world with the instruments inside a world of natural music. That natural music being the sounds, calls, and roars of a jungle that is teeming with life and the unknown. And this merging of worlds is what keeps me interested, to be here for when it solves itself and creates a perfect homogeneous mixture of the two. Unfortunately that never really seems to happen, but it gets pretty damn close. Close enough to keep me on edge while I listen to the background and foreground, listening in for clues. 

There are only two songs, one for each side of the record. The first one is called "Part 1 - Integration (Non-Racial)", which might be referring to the integration of human music with the natural music of the jungle. Probably why the title states (Non-Racial) as the music is more towards the amalgamation between sounds than music of different backgrounds or races. The first track is my favorite and the only one worth listening to here for me. It's like machete-ing your way through a dense, humid, and shady rain forest in the hope to fully submerge yourself within it, becoming one with the ecosystem. Sometimes it works seamlessly, other times it's very forced and unnatural. Evan Parker's saxophone is so fluid and natural that it fits in with the birds much better than I anticipated. Usually I think of Parker as a skronking extremist who blows you out of the water within a few seconds but he's reasonable and moderate here, lyrical like a bird song. Not to say he doesn't stretch himself a little bit, but it gives me the image of a flock of angry birds vying for the carcass on the ground rather than a madman sax player. Then the calm comes. 

The transformation to the rain forest at dawn has begun. The vibraphone extends itself like the plants stretching out to reach the sunlight high above. The tiger growls arrive and seem a little bit exorbitant relative to the rest of the record thus far. But that aggression doesn't last long and you are then cheerfully greeted by the exotic and unnamed bird calls that are signals for the fertile mating season. The rumbling from below increases though and you're not so sure that everything is as charming as it once appeared. The boundaries are reached once more but are suddenly dropped in order to let the remaining bird sounds to serenade you. "Part 2 - The Human Element" is much less interesting and straightforward. Like the title suggests, this is purely human instrumentation in the form of jazz. It's really disappointing to me as it just meanders with no real development or impressive improvisation. It's a shame that the sampling and field recording did not continue on the other side of the record. 

Kirchin reached far above and ahead of most music that was being created at the time, but I'm even more surprised that it came out of the British improvisation scene filled with the Incus crowd. The music of the forest brings to mind smells of wet dirt and dew as well as the sticky humidity that sticks to your skin. It's all part of the experience that makes it an immersive album, but regrettably it cuts off on the second track. It is the "human element" but I'm not really here for that. I would've listened to an Incus album or anything by Evan Parker and Co. I don't think I will come back to this, it was a fun experience for the first twenty minutes. But my enjoyment, and the music, seemed to disentegrate for the rest of the time. A one time listen that could make you really go somewhere else just for that time. And that's what I love.

Favorite Song: Part 1 - Integration (Non-Racial)