The configuration of bass, drums, and piano is an all-too common one in the world of jazz music, but when those instruments are somewhat turned on their heads, the results can be unique and often stunning. That’s certainly the case with Enneads. Their self-titled debut features Zach Layton on an unusual 17-string electric bass and pianist Phyllis Chen using nodal points inside the lid of an amplified piano, run through a distortion pedal. Hamir Atwal’s drumming setup is fairly standard, but the way he works subtly around his bandmates creates an ambience that adds to the otherworldliness of this startling, moody record.
Released on the forward-thinking Birdwatcher label (responsible for experimental releases by artists like GADADU, Jessica Pavone, and Ross Goldstein), Enneads is an album and a group dedicated to unusual approaches that create a mood Layton describes as “doom jazz”. The result is more like experimental soundscapes, but the sustained notes and somewhat freeform approach feel more like noise/drone.
It’s also the result of Layton’s quantum computing research on “quantum sonification” at Renneslear Polytechnic Institute, which “explores parallels that exist between string harmonics, sound’s movement through space, and quantum physics”, according to the press notes. Sounds like real egghead stuff, but the music is undeniably compelling.
The opening track “Eidos” sets the scene nicely, with sustained notes creating a tense soundscape while Atwal plays almost minimalist notes around the space as Chen’s dark piano notes hover. “Metanoia,” meanwhile, ups the ante with more bass distortion and more intense drumming from Atwal, with even greater emphasis on harmonics. Layton’s bass, perhaps because of the multitude of strings, sounds more guitar-like in places.
There are times when the sound approaches a slightly more conventional take on jazz, particularly on “Pathos”, as Atwal’s drumming embraces jittery funk and the bass and piano take a somewhat more subdued tack, and “Kairos”, which emphasizes chaotic rolls of percussion that recall the post-bop work of Elvin Jones or Rashied Ali. However, Enneads is essentially a work of deep, atonal sonic curiosities, as the closing track “Apeiron” delves into foreboding fuzz that threatens to swallow the listener whole.
Enneads are a group rich with sonic possibilities, and their music works magnificently with a good set of headphones and an open musical mind. With this project, Zach Layton, Phyllis Chen, and Hamir Atwal have opened musical doors that will satisfy the most adventurous experimental music fans.