The Exchange Sessions vol 1

Hebden (drummer with Martha and The Vandellas, James Brown and Miles Davis among others) and Reid (of Four Tet) have made an album exclusively featuring percussion and electronics, a one-take live recording, with neither overdubs nor edits. A swift glance at the titles (‘Morning Prayer’, ‘Soul Oscillations’ are two out of the three), and the existence of two tracks around fifteen minutes long, might give the impression that this is an album for blissed-out new age meditators. Not so by a mile.
While the opening track ‘Morning Prayer’ is underpinned by a drone effect, it’s best compared to the kind of meditative cosmic jazz occasionally played by the likes of Charles Lloyd, Santana in his Caravanserai days or even Coltrane. In fact, for those of a younger vintage conned into thinking that Norah Jones or Katie Melua play jazz, ‘Electricity And Drum Will Change Your Mind’ is closer to both the letter and true spirit of that genre. While keeping one foot firmly in the improvisation camp, the presence of contemporary computerized sounds throughout the album gives it a freshness and a relevance you won’t find too often these days.
Some of the work has echoes of drum’n’bass, but the mingling of tinkling percussion, splashing cymbals and synthesized soundwashes all blend into a subtle musical stew that for the most part is refreshingly mesmerizing and a rare, provocative experience. It’s a bit short at 37 minutes, but it sure whets the ears for volume two.