Review: Prepared - Module (Compost Records)

I think about being 'Prepared' every day as  Aston Villa's old club moto: but now I'm even more Prepared with 'Module' on Compost Records.

'Modul Eins' was the first single from the album 'Module' (see review HERE) and I said then, "Don't spend all you're Xmas money...[as] ...you'll want to start the new year with this exciting trio".  And, not to sound too big headed about this, I was right!

As a variation on the traditional jazz-trio meets post classical chamber meets minimal dance, the Munich based line-up consists of Chris Gall ('prepared' piano), Flo Riedl (bass clarinet) and Christoph Holzhauser (drums).

'Module' is really more like four tracks in ten parts, 'Modul Eins' (I & II), 'Modul Zwei' (I & II), 'Modul Drei' (I & II) and 'Modul Vier' (I, II, III, & IV).

You'll recall that 'Modul Eins I' starts as a downtempo introduction with 'Modul Eins II' taking on an upbeat swing which is matched by 'Modul Zwei I & II' as a circus themed film noir score.  And then if you combine those two, there's 'Modul Drei I & II' which are a bit more hip-hop beats joined by a quiet section between the two.

It's clear this guys, all from different musical backgrounds, like a repetitive / cyclical motif; think Steve Reich '18 Musicians' and the like, which is a good point to mention the 15 minute opus of 'Modul Vier' (I, II, III & IV)' and as these four section swell like a changing of four seasons you can really appreciate the 'one-take' 3D recording technique.

Now we have the full album, the comparison with BadBadNotGood and The Bad Plus is still valid but having the bass clarinet in the line does move up to a very GoodGoodPlus!

Be Prepared! or as they say in Munich: Die Roten sind die Stern des Südens

Artist: Prepared

Title: Modul Eins 

Release date: 17th January, 2025

Label : Compost Records

Catalog Number : CPT646

Format: LP (  €22.90)  Digital / Bandcamp