Colorlist - "Lists"

Colorlist - "These Complimentary" (Off 2008)

Colorlist – Lists / Off

Nearly every image Colorlist associates themselves with contains two distinct characteristics: fractured separation and soft-hued fluidity. Their album cover for example is made up of at least nine distinct blocks – like that of a shifting plastic number puzzle – and within each one are digitally bled streaks of autumnal reds, browns and yellows. It is hard to tell exactly, but it almost looks like the blocks were once arranged into a discernible picture, which was subjected to heavy Photoshop manipulation. If we look to the music inside for a confirmation of my hypothesis, I would confidently lean towards that as the origination.

Then there are the photographs strewn across the Colorlist website and MySpace page. Skilled lomographers, percussionist Charles Rumback and reedist Charles Gorzcynski capture hazy ambient scenes with the four-eyed lens of a Supersampler. Each individual picture is made up of four quickly successive shots, each one slightly more telephoto than the next, lined up in progressive order to create a sort of slow motion mini-film reel. Each individual section only differentiates slightly from the previous one, but by lining them up, an otherwise mundane image can take on a more animated and thought-provoking narrative.

Perhaps it is an aesthetic decision by the Chicago-based duo, as the visual associations are analogous to the music they create as Colorlist. The rudimentary melodies made by Gorzcynski’s alto saxophone are consistently patched through a digital delay, looped and embellished upon. Each simple three or four note phrase is captured and slowly manipulated creating a refracted, cascading harmony rather than projecting a single chord. As Gorzcynski builds a patient whirlpool of melody between his soft-toned saxophone, harmonium and electronic toys, Rumback provides a more organic rhythm, though rarely lifting his sticks beyond half-mast and working the more odd-sounding corners of his kit. The final product sounds like Terry Riley jamming with Paul Desmond and John Herndon while Rob Mazurek sits behind the effects board. Each song progresses at a melodic soft boil with its organic instrumentation, but without fail, a frayed wire is introduced to the pot and the track is sent sputtering into fractured, experimental electronica territory.

Now joining Gorzcynski and Rumback at the core of the group are engineers Brian Bullard and Matthew Gagnon, who continue the manipulation from a post-production standpoint. Also contributing to Lists – their first record for Stilll side-label Off Records – are bassists Matt Lux and Jason Ajemian, cellists Ellen O’Hayer and Sarah Biber, bass clarinetist Jason Stein, and guitarist Bill MacKay.

As “Lluvia” displays, the core of Colorlist works well alone. Behind Rumback’s steady hi-hat rhythm, Gorzcynski doubles over his simple downscaling melody while electronic rumbles begin to thunder in the distance. The song progress in a vertical fashion; Gorcynski’s saxophone embellishments and harmonium swells, Rumback’s spry, shifting rhythms, and a barrage of other electronic hums and sputters give increasing texture to the otherwise monochromatic composition. The song eventually becomes a throbbing orb of harmonic tones hovering around light drum patterns and creaking electronics.

Lists really shines when they begin collaborating with outsiders though. “These Complimentary” is six minutes of pure aural ecstasy. Long cello yawns create a steady stream of warm tone, of which MacKay’s guitar tweaks along like an agitated pond skater. Vibraphone-like chimes cover the surface in capillary waves that eventually feed back onto each other causing odd harmonic ripples that refract the images of a bright electronic sun. The players don’t seem to be heading in any particular direction, but the drift alone is an impressive display.

The following track “Carbon Monoxide” features the same ensemble but with a heavier presence from Rumback and his drum kit. It begins in a similar fashion, but eventually tumbles into a realm between Isotope 217, HiM and Boards of Canada. Rumback works his snare and tom into an agitated rhythm while never really evoking a verbal description like pummel or pound. It is a constant reminder that this is more grounded in improvisational jazz than post-rock despite my recent comparisons.

While Colorlist is self-described as a compositional project, they are much more effective while marrying a collection of seemingly separate improvised components – as on “Living Mausoleum” – than on the more structured numbers with a discernible climax – as on “Rewinding Sunday”. Either way they approach it though, it is an interesting sound. The music is soft-toned, organic and patient, composed with accessible melodies in mind, and searching while rarely scathing. But it’s concurrently fractured, fried and strung into compositions nearly unidentifiable from their original sources. Think of it as the aural equivalent of watching a late night jazz trio from outside a softly lit bar in the pouring rain. Streaks of water run down the window, refracting the image into streaks of warm reds, yellows and browns; you can’t quite make out the individual figures, but that flash of yellow was certainly the saxophonist raising his horn in a climactic spout and that blur of brown is the bass being rocked in a meditative fervor. It’s almost more interesting not knowing the exact spatial outlines and just letting this obtuse fluid image become a new aesthetic all its own.