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| Trigon - Herzberg 2004 |
 Released: 2004 Label: n/a Cat. No.: n/a Total Time: 76:50 | |
Reviewed by: Duncan N Glenday, April 2005
Stafan Lange, Bassist, Trigon
Rainer Lange, Guitarist, Trigon Point is - if enough people download free copies of Trigon's music and distribute it freely, and if a small percentage of that total purchases copies of the CDs with their enhanced sound quality, then - by definition - sales will occur. And those sales are in the form of a voluntary donation. It's a nice theory and I hope it works because at this point, Trigon is not making money, and on balance, the band is somewhat out of pocket. Trigon describes themselves as a Jamrock band, or "Heavy-Zen-Jazz", a description they obviously take seriously as seen in their web site address is "heavyzenjazz.de". Well jam, yes, but there really isn't much evidence of jazz in Herzberg 2004 besides the long flügelhorn sections played by guest artist Nick Lieto of Frogg Café. (A flügelhorn is something like a cross between a bugle and a trumpet, and has been adopted by jazz musicians since the 1930s.) So let's focus on the jam-band nature of their music. In a private conversation with band members I was told:
And there you have it - that is the definition and the methodology behind jam-rock. Jam bands have been around since the days of Hendrix, Zappa, the Allmans and the Grateful Dead - and so many others. But a whole new generation is embracing them now and promoting jam bands as a format or a genre unto themselves. Acts like Umphrey's McGee are leading that charge in the USA, and in Europe, one of the front-runners in the jam-band scene is Germany's Trigon. The sound on this record is about vibe and flow rather than song and structure. Their high standard of musicianship allows them to start with a riff or an idea, and build on the theme over long meandering sometimes playful blocks of music It is all instrumental and each track is driven by a strong rhythm section that provides a foundation for soft keyboard backdrops and long, long expressive guitar solos. Each song quickly settles into a psychedelic acid-rock groove and the band is obviously having fun exploring interesting structures and crafty details, and they'll quickly have you nodding your head and tapping your toe at the very progressive rate of 7 beats to the bar. You'll hear elements of 1970s classic rock, southern blues, fusion, and maybe even some "heavy zen jazz," all played through a veneer of hard rock. Most of the 14 songs are predominantly guitar-oriented, with occasional breaks offered by interesting, simple piano sections that add welcome texture. Herzberg 2004 is a live performance recorded at the Burg Herzberg Festival. The sound quality on this CD is not its strongest point - yet that muddy recording and the interaction with the audience (all in German) gives you a strong impression of what it was like to be there - and will doubtlessly evoke good memories from those who attended the BajaProg 2005 festival where the band reportedly won many new fans. I'll be the first to cheer Trigon's success if their unconventional cock-a-snoot at the RIAA guerilla marketing approach works for them. Meantime I'd urge you to give this record a try. You can't beat the price, and who knows, you just might fall in love with this 77 minute head-nodding zone-out jam session! Rating: 3.5/5 More about Herzberg 2004: Track Listing: Trigonometrie / Archaische Extasetechniken / Ein Kleines Brachiales Machwerk / Wenn Wir Dich Rauchen, Schreien Wir / Peitscht Das Kamel / Coitus Trigonus Continuum / Verbiegt Die Kontrollen Zum Herzen Der Sonne / Aural-Verkehr Mit Frickelposition / Wunder Werden Billigend In Kauf Genommen / Tanzen / You Do Fräsend / Tückischer Tonterror / Blue Time / Hummelflug Musicians: Contact: Website: www.heavyzenjazz.de Discography
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