Hashima: The Haywain
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This Serbian band often develops passages with the impetus and intent of a hunter stalking its prey. With asymmetrical jazz-rock, punk-jazz and free-form excursions amid Balkan folk themes, the musicians’ animated buildups and intertwining motifs are anchored by drummer Aleksander Hristic and bassist Vanja Todorović power-packed grooves and fluent outbreaks. As the band’s second album reaffirms its distinct personality with imaginative song-forms, deriving inspiration from The Haywain Triptych panel painting by Hieronymus Bosch.
Nascent Portuguese trumpet star Susanna Santos Silva helps launch the festivities on the opener, “Dance No. 3.” Here, the ensemble mixes it up via a gradual uprising and fiery convergence, spiraling towards a zenith. Consequently, the artists judiciously pick their spots. Sure, there’s some razzle-dazzle type moments but they methodically dish out burgeoning thematic processes, often intensified by electric guitarist Igor Mišković’s sweltering crunch chord strumming and ominous jazz rock leads.
“II The Haywain” is initially framed on Hristic’s prodding medium-tempo backbeat, morphing into a scorching jazz rocker, slightly chilled by tenor saxophonist Srdan Mijalkovic’s searching and drifting lines, culminating in the soloists’ ballsy and brazen dialogues. They sport a deterministic gait. However, the final track “III Satantango” is an up-tempo blitz elevated by the saxophonist’s popping notes, yet tempered by the guitarist’s off-kilter phrasings during the bridge, as a one-note bass and drum timestamp provides lucid imagery for the frontline’s howling riffs.
While the album clocks in at 39:24, there is no filler material to be found. Each piece is a standalone storyboard, shaded with exploding dynamics and sinuous sound designs, as the ensemble seemingly breaches the vaults of forbidden dwellings.
Track Listing: Dance No.3; Iris of the Eye – The Haywain Triptych; Ray of the Microcosm; II The Haywain; III Satantango.
Personnel: Srdan Mijalkovic: tenor saxophone; Igor Miskovic: guitar; Vanja Todorovic: double bass; Aleksander Hristic: drums; Susana Santos Silva: trumpet (1).
Title: The Haywain | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Metropolis Music
SERBIAN TRANSLATION
Ovaj srpski sastav silovito i promišljeno razvija muzičke pasaže, poput lovca koji strpljivo vreba svoj plen. U mešavini džez-roka, pank-džeza i izletima u slobodne forme, kao i uplive balkanskih narodnih motiva, njihova međusobna nadigravanja i isprepletane motive čvrsto drže bubnjar Aleksandar Hristić i basista Vanja Todorović, uz snažni gruv i česte eksplozije. Drugi album ovog benda potvrđuje njihovu izrazitu autentičnost i maštovitost u formiranju kompozicija, ovog puta inspirisanih triptihom “Kola sa senom” Hijeronimusa Boša.
Nova portugalska trubačka zvezda Suzana Santoš Silva daje poseban doprinos u stvaranju festivalske atmosfere na uvodnoj numeri “Dance No. 3”. Stvari se polako zakuvavaju u postepenom dizanju i sve uzbudljivijem nadopunjavanju instrumenata, hreleći spiralno ka vrhuncu. Svaki od muzičara precizno bira i pronalazi svoj momenat. Naravno, ima tu i haotičnih mesta, ali se ona planski razrešuju i rascvetavaju u snažne teme, često pojačane sočnim vibratom električnog gitariste Igora Miškovića i njegovim nabijenim hrskavim akordima ili pretećim džez-rok solo deonicama.
“II The Haywain” započinje čvrsto uzemljeno na Hristićevom stabilnom ritmu umerenog tempa, a zatim se pretvara u užareni džez rok koji isprva umiruje saksofonista Srđan Mijalković svojim iznijansiranim tonovima da bi i on na kraju kulminirao upečatljivim drskim i hrabrim motivima. Oni snažno gaze odlučnim koracima. Završna numera “III Satantango” je juriš u brzom tempu pojačan upadima saksofona, obojen takođe ekscentričnim fraziranjem gitare tokom prelaza, dok jedan ton kontrabasa zajedno sa akcentom bubnjara predstavlja lucidni imaginarijum kao svojevrsnu scenografiju za zavijajuće melodijske fragmente koji su u prvom planu.
Album traje 39:24, i na njemu nigde nema materijala koji bi služio samo za popunjavanje mesta. Svaka numera je posebna slika za sebe, obojena eksplozivnom dinamikom i vijugavim zvučnim strukturama dok sastav navaljuje i gazi kroz zabranjene prostore ka predelima ispunjenim tajnom.