If an album’s being issued on avant garde composer-saxophonist John Zorn’s Tzadik label, there’s a 100 percent chance the content is gonna be experimental, unconventional and expertly played. NYC instrumental jazz/metal quartet Titan to Tachyons—Sally Gates (guitar), Matt Hollenberg (bass VI), Trevor Dunn (bass), Kenny Grohowski (drums)—are exactly all of that. As noted, the band features two bassists—including Mr. Bungle’s Trevor Dunn—and is prone to free-form freak-outs, as well as jolting bursts of metal destruction on its latest track “Blue Thought Particles” from the upcoming second album, Vonals.
Vonals will feature six tracks of similarly out-there material incorporating improv, psych, jazz and metal landscapes backed with Grohowski’s complex rhythms and Gates’ entrancing guitar work. The album was recorded and mixed by Colin Marston at Menegroth, the Thousand Caves and mastered by Scott Hull at Masterdisk. It’s set for release exclusively on CD on September 16. To support the release Titan to Tachyons will embark on a brief East Coast tour at the end of September (see dates below).
Here’s what Sally Gates had to say about the new track:
“’Blue Thought Particles’ dives into the nature of consciousness and thought, whether artificial, natural or of unknown origin. In a nod to Douglas Adams, that includes forms of intelligence which we have no concept of or reference to begin to understand. Musically, this translates to a scattered landscape of textures and emotions, pulling thematically from all over the board. This was the last piece I wrote for Vonals, and like the others, it was an absolute joy to write for and collaborate with such accomplished bandmates. Balancing the voicings of the three strings created opportunities and challenges throughout the album to write counterpoint and make good use of polyrhythms. In particular, having Trevor and Matt switch between bass, melodic and soloist roles really opened up the musical possibilities. In line with a particular theory of consciousness, it all ties together as a symbiotic, nonlocal whole.”
Fall 2022 East Coast tour Dates:
9/29: etc. – Greensboro, NC w/ Cloutchaser, Voidward
9/30: Sabbath Brewing – Atlanta, GA w/ Dead Register, Shane Parish
10/01: Jam Room Music Festival – Columbia, SC w/ Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Titus Andronicus, Shiner, more
10/02: Gallery5 – Richmond, VA w/ Dumb Waiter, Bermuda Triangles
10/11: Saint Vitus Bar – Brooklyn, NY w/ Editrix, Dumb Waiter
