Enneads [LP]

Enneads is a New York-based trio featuringpianist Phyllis Chen, drummer Hamir Atwal, andZach Layton on the rare 17-string electric bass.Named after the writings of the neoplatonicphilosopher Plotinus, the ensemble approachesimprovisation through the ancient idea, firstarticulated by Pythagoras, that harmony is'number made audible.' The trio uses naturalstring harmonics as the foundation of it's conceptof improvisation. Harmonic and inharmonicovertones, sympathetic vibrations, rhythmicproportions, and resonant room acoustics are allparameters of an emerging musical form exploredthrough Chen, Atwal, and Layton's intuitiveapproach to spontaneous composition.Layton's unique instrument, the 17-string electric bass, is played in a variety of tunings andfunctions almost like an amplified Greek Lyre (ormaybe a Baroque electric Theorbo), runningthrough heavy fuzz, distortion, and ringmodulation, while Chen explores the interior of anamplified grand piano, producing richconstellations of expanded sound clusters, andthe percussive attack of the hammers as theystrike the strings, running through a Rat distortioncircuit. Atwal's drumming grounds it all throughfluid cycles of hypnotic pulsation and propulsivemotion that contributes to a hypnotic andsensitive and tactile sense of temporal structure.Recorded between 2024 and 2026 at Layton'sstudio in New York's Hudson Valley, the materialon the Enneads' debut self-titled record is adistillation of the trio's approach towardsimprovisation. Throughout the album, harmonicsdrift into slowly beating patterns, while dreamyreverberant atmospheres evolve into denselayers of distorted harmonics, recalling thegravitational pull of doom metal within the contextof experimental music and contemporary jazz.The first and last tracks on the album wereslowed down after recording, exploring practicespioneered by Pauline Oliveros, Terry Riley, (andDJ Screw) revealing temporal and harmonicrelationships within the musical landscape.