Germany
2020
Private Press
avant-garde prog rock
Rating 85/100
Prudi Bruschgo (electric guitar, electric baritone guitar) and Johannes Korn (Chapman Sticks, Electric Violin) knew they had between them the core line-up for an interesting and imaginative avant-garde / alternative rock band. Utilising an online portal that serves the Freiburg area they searched for other musicians especially a drummer who would be fully receptive to their musical ideals to join them. Enter; Erik Feder (Drums, Percussion) who had moved to Germany from the USA in 2012 and similarly was scanning the same ‘Freiburg Portal in hope of achieving the same goal of musical compatibility. A meeting and subsequent jam session was arranged and it was soon realised that the final piece of the jigsaw for both parties had been found and now with Erik on board the future of ‘Sproingg’ had sprung firmly into place.
In respect to the music, the long-awaited 2nd Sproingg CD, titled “Clam I would never have thought it possible for music so seemingly disjointed and lacking in harmony to be as extraordinarily enjoyable as it is here delivered on this album.
The strange thing is that ‘Sproingg’ with their cacophonous rhythmical droning and off-tempo musical offerings actually do provide an interesting alternative to the normal standard progressive rock arrangement. Such an alternative might well be comparable to that of the art world where certain underlying principles in modern art change the perception one might have towards the excellence of a certain painting. And so it is that innovation and experimentation with musical notes rather, than shapes and colours, that actually herald a real sense of compositional progression, a realisation fully subscribed to on this album by Sproingg’
Generally one could say that the contents of this eight track album is not the kind of music that you play (or be allowed to play) in normal family or group situations. Even the guys from ‘Sproingg’ would agree that the crashing together of concurrent polyrhythms would be too much for most people to endure or understand, that is, without a gradual learning process being applied. And that is a key point because there is so much structure to the music and a hell of a lot of discipline required to master the ability to play such complicated music. The Chapman stick is, in itself, an extremely difficult instrument to master and requires, so I have been advised, cumbersome two-handed manipulations up and down the neck of the instrument. Subtle guitar intrusions, electric violin incursions and a preponderance of alternating percussive elements decorate the music throughout and is delivered by a consummate trio of top-notch musicians who clearly enjoy playing together,
It is probably no surprise to learn that the majority of ‘Sproingg’ musical ideas derive from their various jam sessions. Such sessions are recorded and then subsequently regurgitated so that original ideas can be improved, sculptured and honed to perfection. The end result often then being quite different from the initial session. The balance of additional interest, following such reviews, being achieved by the addition of extra dynamism, hypnotic intrigue and other ingenious concurrent polyrhythmic patterns.
Songs / Tracks Listing
- Stuffer Gapes and Drapes His Cape on a Vaping Ape (including Destiny’s Abortion) (9:00)
2. (Impure Thoughts) Pure Cushion (7:51)
3. Z’Mörgele (7:09)
4. Lovebird Dogbane Receives Higher Education (7:54)
5. And Her Name Was “Jo-Jo, the Dog-Faced Boy”, Part 1 (3:06)
6. Progg Is a Five-Letter Word (6:02)
7. Stuffer Vapes and Drapes His Cape on a Gaping Ape (11:59)
8. In a Recent Survey, 4 Out of 5 Clinically Depressed, Middle-Aged Suburbanites Strongly Preferred New and Improved Jizzo Brand Cream Cheese to a Mortally Wounded Clam (6:57)Total Time 59:58
Line-up / Musicians
– Prudi Bruschgo / electric guitar, electric baritone guitar
– Erik Feder / drums
– Johannes Korn / Chapman Sticks, electric violin
