Monday, June 29, 2009

Quartet Offensive: Carnivore














A year or so in the making, Quartet Offensive offer some familiar faces, but some not so traditional tunes. Their debut record Carnivore officially drops next month.

The nasty upright bass skills of Peabody graduate Adam Hopkins have poured out of varying outlets around town. John Dierker has played with the likes of Lafayette Gilchrist and Microkingdom. And the beats and guitar derive from Nathan Ellman-Bell and Matt Frazao of the hip hop outfit Soul Cannon.

Together, they've constructed Carnivore. The album is a journey into the free jazz world, with plenty of rock along the way. Dierker's reeds often dictate where a song might head, but once the crew is in full swing there's no telling where you'll end up.

Tracks like "The M.B.S." begin in control with Frazao's riffs blending seamlessly with the woodwinds. But once the beats get off rhythm, spacey sonic landscapes take over and unwind into a beautiful commotion. Carnivore is one of the more interesting local releases so far this year, as these guys should be at the top of your lists of artists to check out.

The record will be relinquished on Friday July 10th, with a CD release party being held at the Windup Space. You can also check them out at the aforementioned festival Exotic Hypnotic on July 18th.

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