Ambiguous Dialogues

The first release on this new label encapsulate's Metier's artistic vision: the representation of a broad range of music making, with a bias towards experimental, adventurous and often eclectic forms of jazz and cross-currents between jazz and other genres.

The soprano saxophone of Tom Chant and the shakuhachi flute of Clive Bell dance and dive above Philip Clemo’s rich and colourful soundscapes, on his new album Ambiguous Dialogues. Pete Lockett (percussion) and Mark Sanders (drums and percussion) create and shift rhythmic textures with John Edwards on double bass moving between rhythm and harmonic colour. This group of musicians have quite a history between them having played with David Sylvian, The London Philharmonic, Evan Parker, Bill Laswell and Björk amongst others.

Clemo constructs complex atmospheres, mixing the sounds of Icelandic geothermal activity with the insect life of the Malaysian rainforest, Delhi street markets with the sparks and crunches of metal and glass workshops. He then goes on to develop the pieces through a process of composition and improvisation, weaving his sound environments into the beautiful and dark harmonies of voice and string arrangements, electronics, manipulated guitar and keyboards. Instruments and atmospheres are in constant interplay, moving in and out of focus, continually developing ambiguous dialogues.