Sophie Agnel / Kristoff K. Roll / Daunik Lazro
Quartet un peu Tendre
FRANCE FOU RECORDS FR – CD 63 (2024)
French group improvisation; the quartet is Agnel (piano), Lazro (baritone sax) and Carole Rieussec & J-Kristoff Camps, who appear together as Kristoff K. Roll with their electro-acoustic contributions. Although rather subdued and meandery (the second track is over 40 minutes duration), there’s a lot to be savoured in the multiple layers and the interesting ways in which things don’t quite marry up. I like the found tape at the start of ‘Au Depart c’est un photo’ and in a way I feel we could do with more such incongruities to liven up the landscape. ‘L’Hiver Sera Chaud’ – which might be interpreted as an oblique reference to global warming – is a live concert recording from 2012, and sees the foursome getting much more restless and bad-tempered. But somehow the passion dissipates almost as soon as it flares up. With the Kristoff K. Roll elements, it’s tempting to consider this record as another report from the corner marked “EAI”, if that term still has any validity in the stock exchange of cultural endeavour. These French players do manage to bring their own personal stamp to that particular picnic. (03/04/2024)
