Alex Temple – Schwarzwaldmusik III

For a moment album title and artwork gave me the impression of dealing with traditional folk music. After a hearing a few notes of the music it became clear I was mistaken. This is weird stuff, 5 strange experimental tracks between 2 and 28 minutes. Most instruments are played by Alex Temple himself, with a few guest contributions. A wide variety of instruments is being used, from piano to dulcimer to banjo, with lots of effects added, as well as synths, samples, field recordings and the like. The introduction is fairly tranquil, like some avantgarde progrock. Further tracks seem to be total improvisational madness, with seemingly random sounds and sudden breaks which are hard to follow. If you like the stranger sides of Krautrock, prog-folk and Zappa this creation may please you, or if you are on a weird trip. The crazy turns of this cd make me smile now and then, but I won’t call it a very pleasant listening experience. For diehard fans of strange sounds only.