Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid, Tongues (Domino)

With apologies to Neil for the bastardised abridged history…

I used to write for a website some years ago, which eventually succumbed to the twin demons of complete inactivity and all-consuming guilt for said inactivity.  One of our collective sought an interview with Steve Reid, on the back of having heard his ace Nova on Soul Jazz.  Good enough for us.  Steve was at the time earning his corn on the Pizza Express circuit, playing straight up hard bop stuff, so next time he was in London they met.  The project turned from an interview to a book.  From a book to a documentary.  And from there, some kind of personal crusade to get Steve his props.

First, Steve was reintroduced to the Fire Music.  Gigs were arranged pairing Steve with the cream of the London improv scene – the likes of John Edwards and Tony Bevan.  [Posters were required; it was decided that Steve’s efforts proclaiming himself “legendiary drummet” would not suffice].  They were all crammed onto tiny stages in London pubs with Steve grinning like a maniac on day release; the gigs were a blast.  By the time they played the Spitz, Kieran Hebden had picked up the trail, nodding heads with the rest of us.  A massive gig with the Steve Reid Ensemble (as they had become) supporting Four Tet followed, and the seeds of a new venture were being sown.  The Ensemble’s own album – Spirit Walk, a much more commercially palatable if much less exciting version of their live Bitches Brew - featured contributions from Kieran, and was followed quickly by the two joyfully rough and ready Steve and Kieran discs on Domino.  They then toured their drum/electronic face-off for a while, although to me, it began to sound increasingly tired, lacking in the fun and spontaneity of those early days.

So to reinvigorate themselves, they’ve gone record shopping.  Kieran armed himself with a bunch of obscure samples to play to Steve, to get some sort of percussive reaction.  Steve has gone in with a copy of Africa/Brass, and played “Greensleeves” (yup, he played Kieran a centuries-old tune than everyone knows.  What had he been smoking?).  The result is a step back from the formless jamming – hey, you know I mean formless in a good way -  and instead we have a much simpler and punchier ten-tracker.  Think somewhere between The Exchange Sessions and Everything Ecstatic.  Great bits: opener “The Sun Never Sets” hiding behind a twanging melody before leaping out to fire a battery of electronic effects against Steve’s four-four bam-bam; “Brain”reminding me of being at a Caribou/Manitoba gig, minus the part where they tried to decapitate me with a cymbal.  Steve kind of fits in, staying in his rhythms; rarely is he called upon to try anything too fancy – which seemingly suits Kieran, giving him the opportunity to boss the session.  He enjoys it so much that by the end he even creates an enjoyably cacophonous superhero theme (erm, “Superheros”). 

As this enjoyable album subsides with an African clatter and crackle, I do wonder where Kieran intends going next from here.  If I have to interview him to find out, past form suggests there will be a long wait before we find out…

Download “The Sun Never Sets“; listen to clips of “Brain” and “Our Time” , all courtesy of the good folks at Domino.  You can buy it there too.