Albatre

Albatre: A Descent into the Maelstrom

by Eyal Hareuveni
April 5, 2014

Albatre is a Pan-European trio based in Rotterdam, comprised of two Portuguese living in this city--alto saxophonist Hugo Costa and bassist Gonçalo Almeida, member of the Portuguese Lama Trio--joined by German drummer Philipp Ernsting. The trio's debut offers its schizoid vision of free jazz on metal and punk steroids with electronic sonic neurosis. Albatre's aesthetics stick to a thick, distorted stew of fast beats, sudden mood shifts, frantic drumming, and urgent, brutal sax and bass outbursts. Surprisingly enough this explosive, ...