Limbo: Spirit Of Chaos
The albumSpirit of Chaos by the band Limbo, created during last year’s residency at Divadlo 29, has been released on the Amplion Records label.
You can order it, for example, here: www.arta.cz
“Limbo, now twenty years old, is mature, full of life, and literally brimming with jazz allure, promising listeners all the pleasures of the world. Few can find a soul in chaos without constraining it. The band already offered a taste of its fresh album in a new line-up, which—alongside Pavel Hrubý (soprano sax, bass clarinet), Taras Voloshchuk (double bass), and Dušan Černák (drums, percussion)—now includes Oskar Török (trumpet), a seasoned figure on the Polish jazz scene. They previewed it at events such as the Brno Syncopation Festival or the Boskovice Festival for the Jewish Quarter. I was eager to hear whether the live thrill would translate to the album—and believe me, Spirit of Chaos has arrived as a top contender for Czech jazz album of the year! I could end this review with that bold claim and point to the ineffability of such a listening experience, but I’ll try to offer some arguments. Without them, this would be a promo piece, not a review…
The album runs for 40 minutes. Limbo’s music thus remains concentrated, uncompromised. All nine tracks maintain momentum and tension from start to finish. Moreover, the album was born in the environment of Pardubice’s Divadlo 29, and it feels as if all the progressive energy that has filled that venue over the years found its way into Limbo—or rather, intensified its already innovative spirit. It’s worth noting that the quartet has always been exploratory, yet still accessible…
Another strength lies in the entirely original repertoire. Two tracks are collective compositions, Hrubý penned two pieces, Černák three, with one each by Török and Voloshchuk. The album opens with the collective “The Last Tone,” a gripping blend of free jazz and tradition à la Art Ensemble of Chicago. Next come two of Černák’s gems: “Public Safety” with its dense rhythm, punctuated horns, and fierce trumpet solo, and “Swordfish,” driven by a pulsating groove and emotive trumpet, ending with a lyrical soprano sax chorus full of spiritual depth. Hrubý’s ballad-like and emotionally charged “Sorrow of the Ents” (Ents being tree-like creatures from Tolkien’s Middle-earth) introduces the bass clarinet, which, together with trumpet, fills the track with genuine melancholy. The collective piece “Mind” begins submerged and poignant, with intentionally erratic, nervous rhythm creating a tangible tension—until the horns flare up. Voloshchuk’s “Song For Lucy” evokes a near-Christmas atmosphere, full of peace and serenity, gradually building in intensity toward triumph. The melody then passes to the double bass, which ends the piece alone. Černák’s “Merlin” follows, swelling with plaintive horns and a storm of rhythm that evolves into a dreamlike rhythmic ride and dynamic trumpet solo. Török’s “Natan” features an extraordinarily strong melodic theme without losing its edge. The excellent album climaxes with a more-than-ten-minute carousel of solos and rhythmic frenzy aptly titled “Carousel,” composed by Hrubý—his baton guiding the piece’s progression and solo entries. The flow is dynamically and expressively rich, culminating in a final eruption of drums.”
(★★★★★ Jazzport.cz)
