Titan To Tachyons

Avant-instro-metal madness

Work on my next book, In the Brewing Luminous: The Life and Music of Cecil Taylor, is in progress. It will be published in spring/summer 2024 by Wolke Verlag; if you’d like to help support that effort (and all my other projects), I have a Patreon.

I’m not the only writer for Burning Ambulance; Todd Manning contributes reviews from time to time, too. This week, he has some thoughts on the second album from Titan To Tachyons, an instrumental avant-metal group on Tzadik. (He reviewed their debut here.)

Take it away, Todd!

From the outside looking in, NYC appears to be populated by elite musicians who obsess over the boundaries between jazz and metal and continue to spit out record after record of mind-melting fusion metal. While it is likely that there probably are tons of local players that worship Darkthrone and Motörhead over all else, Titan To Tachyons seems happy to feed into the perception that the metropolis is filled with musical mad scientists.

Titan To Tachyons first formed as a trio consisting of Sally Gates (ex-Orbweaver) on guitar, Matt Hollenberg (Cleric, John Frum, and multiple John Zorn projects) on bass, and Kenny Grohowski (Imperial Triumphant and various John Zorn projects) on drums. As if that lineup wasn’t strong enough, Trevor Dunn, who had a guest spot on their first album, has joined as a full-time second bassist. His work with Zorn, Fantômas, Faith No More, and Mr. Bungle, among other projects, makes him a natural fit in this ensemble.

Titan To Tachyons inhabits an instrumental hinterland of avant-garde metal that is as unpredictable as it is enthralling. Their second album, Vonals, due out this month on Tzadik, sees the ensemble not only pushing at the boundaries of their sound but also perfecting their explorations. Song titles like “Neutron Wrangler” and “Blue Thought Particles” hint at science fiction vistas, but their obtuse harmonies can lead one to consider more Twin Peaks-inspired weirdness.

“Vonals” sounds like an alien abduction gone wrong or maybe right, depending on your perspective. Metallic riffs and leads spar with strange jazz passages, the two basses interweave with each other but never play in unison. It is notable that Hollenberg plays a bass VI, which exists somewhere between a bass and a baritone guitar. Often one man will play a conventional bass line while the other plays chords or drones. But at times, Hollenberg will lean into a more guitar-like style and play in duet with Gates. Meanwhile, Grohowski’s drums lay impossible patterns beneath, not only giving structure but also propelling each piece forward.

Sally Gates is Titan To Tachyons‘ secret weapon. While she’s a little less well-known than her compatriots, her guitar work is stunning. On “Neutron Wrangler” she manages to parallel Dave Tiso’s jazz-metal contortions, Human Remains’ volume-knob stutters, and Marc Ribot’s avant-rock leads in equal measure. Meanwhile, “Critical Paranoia” summons the spirit of King Crimson and “Wax Hypnotic” hints at Mr. Bungle and the Flying Luttenbachers. Ultimately, though, her vocabulary on her instrument is vast and her voice is all her own.

Vonals is no shred-fest, but it’s consistently obvious that these are some of the highest caliber musicians active today. There is an emphasis on texture and composition that takes precedence over any need to show off. Yet it’s that much more impressive that the performances can leave one in awe and they probably aren’t even trying. This album is a fantastic follow-up to the group’s debut and hopefully is a sign of more great work to come.

Almost a thousand people will receive this email. I am asking each of you to buy just one CD from the Burning Ambulance Music label. These are extremely considered projects; it takes me a long time to decide to put something out, because I’m not operating on grant money or family money. I fund this label by doing regular job-type jobs, and I have to account for it on my taxes at the end of the year. It’s a business, not a hobby. All that said, I’m incredibly proud of all six of our releases (I.A. Freeman’s art and design/layout work is as important to the total package as the music; visit her website to see her amazing art).

Senyawa’s Alkisah is an otherworldly industrial ritual noise-metal album, released in partnership with something like 40 other labels around the world; read this New York Times piece for more details. • link to purchase •

Ivo Perelman and Nate Wooley’s Polarity is a beautiful collection of improvised tenor saxophone and trumpet duos. They’ve worked together in other contexts, but never one-on-one like this, and the results are incredible. • link to purchase •

Matthew Shipp and Whit Dickey’s Reels is another collection of duo performances, only their second such encounter despite the fact that they’ve been playing together for over 30 years. It’s moody, ecstatic, exploratory and continually fascinating. • link to purchase •

Graham Haynes and Submerged’s Echolocation is a globe-spanning collaboration that combines out-jazz cornet (Haynes has played with Vijay Iyer, David Murray, Pharoah Sanders and many others) with aggro electronics that incorporate dub, drum ’n’ bass, and industrial strength sonic assaults. • link to purchase •

Breath Of Air’s self-titled debut features Harriet Tubman guitarist Brandon Ross alongside violinist Charles Burnham and drummer Warren Benbow, formerly of James “Blood” Ulmer’s Odyssey. It’s a dark, stormy, heavy improv album that crosses Black string band music with psychedelic power drone. • link to purchase •

José Lencastre’s Inner Voices is a solo sax album unlike anything you’ve ever heard; he multitracks himself into a quartet, laying down stomping Julius Hemphill-esque melodies as producer Ary layers the music in electronics and dubby effects. • link to purchase •

You can buy these albums individually, or you can buy a bundle for $60 (plus shipping) that will get you all six CDs, plus the digital-only Eyes Shut, Ears Open: A Burning Ambulance Compilation, which features exclusive (as in “available nowhere else”) tracks from Mats Gustafsson, Burnt Sugar, Melvin Gibbs, Melissa Aldana, Aaron Parks, Jason Kao Hwang, Dead Neanderthals and more. Again, I am asking you to please buy just one CD, and I thank you in advance.

That’s it for now; see you next week!