Jinx

Jinx is one of Kammerflimmer Kollektief's finest and most intimate releases yet. The one-time collective has boiled down to the core trio of Heike Aumüller (harmonium and vocals, mostly), Johannes Frisch (double bass) and Tom Weber (guitar), augmented by a different cast of guest musicians on each track. Experimental guitarist Martin Siewert (of Trapist) is featured on over half of the album. Also appearing are Heike Wendelin, Dietrich Foth, Christopher Brunner, Harald Kimmig, and Marco Preitschopf. Jinx is a particularly melodious and quiet album that focuses on the gentler side of the group. Except for "Palimpsest"'s emotional surge, the music remains soft and soothing, which does not exclude a textural approach with a certain avant-garde edge. "Palimpsest" is one of the set's highlights, thanks in part to Wendelin's inspired viola solo. The title track and its alternate incarnation "Jinx (Version)" are delicate and very pretty affairs. Simple and melodious, the trio track "Nest" is also a defining moment of the album. The group reaches its largest membership on "Live at the Cactus Tree Motel," a short piece featuring sax player Foth, drummer Brunner, and guitarist Siewert, along with the trio. Despite its augmented work force, the track ranks among the quietest on the album and shows just how the Kollektief knows how to value each and every contribution. The album concludes on the longer "Subnarkotisch," a gritty and abstract improvisation with electronician Marco Preitschopf. Well balanced, rather easy to approach and overall more satisfying than Absencen, Jinx definitely marks a new turn in the group's music, although the implications of that change are yet to be fully grasped. ~ François Couture, Rovi