Infernal Machines
Reviews
Fo
Reviewed 2009-05-10
Reviewed 2009-05-10
DARCY JAMES ARGUE’S SECRET SOCIETY: Infernal Machines
New Amsterdam, 2009
MODERN JAZZ – The widely anticipated debut CD from Argue’s 18-piece “steampunk big band” delivers on all counts. The music is unusual, fresh and vibrant, merging modern jazz with rock-derived concepts on a grand scale. Guitar & keyboard spar with a sprawling horn section in complex retro-futuristic arrangements, while soloists (just 1 or 2 per piece) are buffeted and propelled by the surging mass.
Soloists:
Ingrid Jensen - trumpet
Mark Small, Sam Sadigursky, Erica vonKleist - saxophones
Ryan Keberle, Mike Fahie, James Hirschfeld - trombones
Sebastian Noelle - guitar
John Wikan - drums (cajon)
* * * * | Fo’s Picks: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7
1. 11:02 – tense rhythm vs. slouching melody; rises to lift tenor sax solo
2. 07:14 – cinematic w/forward motion: trombone holds rudder in a choppy sea
3. 07:01 – vivacious uptempo glide, evokes trains & traffic under trumpet solo
4. 10:12 – calm suspension, introspective guitar turns otherworldly
5. 10:55 – moody horns, chugs along with a retro-cinematic, old-world feel
6. 10:57 – heavy atmosphere, unsettling undercurrents, mounting tension
7. 09:40 – unsteady walking rhythm; rises mightily under quavering sax solo
[ Fo ] 05/10/09
New Amsterdam, 2009
MODERN JAZZ – The widely anticipated debut CD from Argue’s 18-piece “steampunk big band” delivers on all counts. The music is unusual, fresh and vibrant, merging modern jazz with rock-derived concepts on a grand scale. Guitar & keyboard spar with a sprawling horn section in complex retro-futuristic arrangements, while soloists (just 1 or 2 per piece) are buffeted and propelled by the surging mass.
Soloists:
Ingrid Jensen - trumpet
Mark Small, Sam Sadigursky, Erica vonKleist - saxophones
Ryan Keberle, Mike Fahie, James Hirschfeld - trombones
Sebastian Noelle - guitar
John Wikan - drums (cajon)
* * * * | Fo’s Picks: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7
1. 11:02 – tense rhythm vs. slouching melody; rises to lift tenor sax solo
2. 07:14 – cinematic w/forward motion: trombone holds rudder in a choppy sea
3. 07:01 – vivacious uptempo glide, evokes trains & traffic under trumpet solo
4. 10:12 – calm suspension, introspective guitar turns otherworldly
5. 10:55 – moody horns, chugs along with a retro-cinematic, old-world feel
6. 10:57 – heavy atmosphere, unsettling undercurrents, mounting tension
7. 09:40 – unsteady walking rhythm; rises mightily under quavering sax solo
[ Fo ] 05/10/09
Recent airplay
Phobos
Music Casserole — Sep 10, 2022
Phobos
No Cover, No Minimum — Oct 25, 2018
Phobos
No Cover, No Minimum: Saturday Edition — Jul 01, 2017
Phobos
No Cover, No Minimum — Jun 01, 2017
Phobos
No Cover, No Minimum — Oct 13, 2016
Phobos
No Cover, No Minimum — Jun 13, 2014
Charting
2009-05-10 — 2009-07-12
Jazz
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| Jul 12 | 2 |
| Jun 28 | 1 |
| Jun 14 | 1 |
| May 31 | 3 |
| May 24 | 1 |
| May 17 | 1 |
Track listing
| 1. | Phobos | ||
| 2. | Zeno | ||
| 3. | Transit | ||
| 4. | Redeye | ||
| 5. | Jacobin Club | ||
| 6. | Habeas Corpus (For Maher Arar) | ||
| 7. | Obsidian Flow |