Jan Bang wrote me something that sounded interesting, in regards to small bass lines in old music from the 50‘s, as part of an e-mail interview, concerning his forthcoming album with Eivind Aarset, „Snow Catches On Her Eyelashes“ (Jazzland). I really didn‘t know exactly what he meant (just had some ideas) and asked for examples – among them, then, a song by Marlene Dietrich, „Lazy Afternoon“. Listen to the track, and you’ll understand. By the way, it‘s such a wonderful song, its mood, its slowness. The interview with Jan will be posted here on the day of the album‘s release, on March 13th. After playing one track from it, in my last radio night, „The Witness“, the responses were quiet enthusiastic, from Harald Rehmann, Martina Weber, and other friends and strangers. Stunning, for an album that owns all features of experimental music in its truest sense, a strange hybrid of musique concrète, free improv, ambient – one of these records for the infamous imaginary movies in our heads, which, I have to admit, I never have seen when listening to even the most „in-between“-music.
Michael: Now I listened to that two note thing of the bass in Marlene‘s song you mentioned. Such a sound from the bottom, minimal impulse, discreet company, but what an impact, IF you focus on it. I think I wouldn’t normally realize these tiny fragments when listening to the song. Mhm. One could possibly write a little book on it, a universal pattern, a link between decades, cultures, styles, nearly archetypal. All these things at the margins.
Jan: It surely is effective, and worth an article if not a book on the subject matter.
Michael: A small book it would be, Jan, on that two tone thing, sure, not as big as the ones on twelve tone music.
Jan: Haha.