And now for something (well almost) completely different- Bern based jazz rock drummer Manuel Pasquinelli is venturing into the world of bio-music on his new album ‘Heartbeat Drumming’. Of course others have explored the human body’s musicality before. The great Ron Geesin, Floyd collaborator, possibly kicked things off in the pop arena with his seventies ‘Music From The Body’ album and esteemed jazzer Bobby McFerrin added chest cage percussion to back his vocals. More recently saxophonist Jason Sharpe has shaped his otherworldly post rock soundscapes via triggers from his own pulse and corporeal blood-flow but Pasquinelli’s approach opens up yet another avenue in bio-music fascination.
Best known in Europe as drummer for alt-rock minimalists Sonar as well as leader of the electric jazz outfit AKKU Quintet, ‘Heartbeat Drumming’ sees Pasquinelli generating music which is fundamentally more improvisational. And “generating” is the exact word for his modus here. Strapping on a heart-rate belt is the start of the process, which he then connects to via headphones to provide the click track which dictates the pace and pulse that Pasquinelli follows. As the drummer tellingly observes “Connected to my inner beat, I am simultaneously suspended between total freedom and total dependence at the same time, while the conscious and the subconscious “me“ work together “.
The spontaneity doesn’t stop there either. ‘Heartbeat Drumming’ is essentially a live performance unfolding in front of an audience who share Pasquinelli’s journey to an unknown rhythmic destination. Each time the piece is performed the outcome is different although with this album we have a document of one such show in Bellmund, unedited, without overdubs and unique.
Memories of Billy Cobham’s live solo drum shows might flash by here, where watching the great jazz rock master careering around his kit for thirty minutes plus strained the attention span. Well cannily Pasquinelli frames his rhythms within an ocean of ambient drone which both softens the soundscape and sharpens focus on his pulsating beats. Recorded and performed as a continuous long form piece and tied to a certain extent by his heart-beats’ natural regularity, the variation which Pasquinelli delivers on the album is the key to its durability.
The performance never feels fractured or fractious as it orbits stealthily around the core force of the musician’s heartbeat. Starting with that pulse upfront, Pasquinelli first introduces soft brushed textures and a gentle shuffle rhythm which stutters occasionally with any natural flutters. An ethereal, Lawrence English-like choral swirl ebbs and flows empathically, allowing different impressions and details to emerge with every listen. The first time Pasquinelli’s kick drum picks up the pace or the ratcheting locomotion he creates from his syncopated taps, knocks, rumbles and thuds are early stand-outs.
As the drone advances and retracts, hints of rhythmic stylings emerge within the improv: a stretch of funky swing; a shimmy of disco hi-hat; and some propulsive double pedal heaviness. ‘Heartbeat Drumming’, however, may cover an impressive range but the piece never loses its musical flow or conceptual focus. Pasquinelli’s percussive sensibilities also thrive in this context, his intricate use of cymbals, rims and drum casings showing his dynamism and feel for dramatic detail. As ‘Heartbeat Drumming’ winds down he rings light gamelan patterns from his splash and ride, then scrapes, or maybe bows, touch sensitive notes from the cymbal surfaces. The piece resolves in a sleepy shimmering wave as the singular sound of his pumping heart once again emerges as the drummer rests.
When you step back from ‘Heartbeat Drumming’ the complex influences at play during the recording adds to the fascination. Yes Pasquinelli responding to his physiology is central but other dimensions also help shape the performance, his mood, his established style, the context which the supporting drone creates for him at any time etc. All these dimensions elevate ‘Heartbeat Drumming’ into something much more meaningful than a curio or experiment. As Pasquinelli admits “Every time I perform heartbeat drumming, it reminds me of how vulnerable we are, and how fragile what we take for granted is”. It’s highlighting, graphically the human side of music which makes ‘Heartbeat Drumming’ such a real, uplifting listen.
Get your copy of ‘Heartbeat Drumming‘ direct from Manuel Pasquinelli’s Bandcamp page HERE
