Sound of Choice is a trio with highly rhythmic drive and considerable computer augmentation on (1). Percussionist Juul and reed player Lundin both manipulate electronic devices to give the band a fuller and certainly an unusual sound. Juul sets up most pieces with a rolling barrage of drum talk that becomes inseparable from the feedback of the electronic equipment His drumming sweeps across the soundstage in waves, providing the identifying pulse and signature of the band. Lundin takes a gruff approach to playing the tenor and stamps his music with a serrated edge. He takes his horn into high-register scenarios and then dips down to the bottom end with guttural tonality. He also plays flute, which establishes an eerie ambiance when his playing is fed through the delay and modulation boxes. Poulsen is an extreme colorist on guitar. His improvisations are unique pieces of a puzzle that fit mysteriously into the rushing rhythm of the tunes. In freeform style, he sets up a pattern of unstructured playing that swirls up in cyclonic fashion while the beat and the computerized regurgitations go on and on. Poulsen and Lundin occasionally play cat and mouse duets while Juul prods with his dense drumming. These acoustic segments merge with the ensuing electronic movements, providing a dramatic contrast in the group's music. Effectively, the acoustic trio becomes an electronic quartet through the use of the sampling contrivances. Each of the 13 short tunes has a distinctive character, but the flavor is always unconventional. (Cadence Magazine about the CD „Back Street Theatre“)
Sound of Choice steht seit 1991 für unkonventionelle, spannende Musik. Das dänische Trio - bestehend aus drei herausragenden Exponenten der freien Improvisationsszene Skandinaviens - verfolgt konsequent den Weg, die Möglichkeiten des Jazz mit der musikalischen Sprache der zeitgenössischen Musik zu verbinden. Sie schaffen eine unkonventionelle Mischung aus Jazz, Ambient und Folk-Music - mit einem starken rhythmischen Drive, klanglich erweitert durch Samples und Elektronik. „Wir finden das eine reife Musik: wir versuchen nicht, irgend etwas zu beweisen. Wir versuchen nur, unsere Musik mit soviel Freude wie möglich zu spielen.“ (Sound of Choice)
Hasse Poulsen war zuletzt mit Louis Sclavis’ Napoli’s Walls im P&B zu Gast - welcome back mit Sound of Choice! CH