AVANT-GARDE jazz-rock outfit Schnellertollermeier took technicality to a new level as the Swiss trio showcased their breathtaking abilities in Stereo.
Their long-winded moniker consists of the band members’ surnames – bassist Andi Schnellmann, guitarist Manuel Troller and drummer David Meier – who are qualified musicians from various backgrounds.
Their skills were fully evident in tracks from their latest album, X, as the small crowd were treated to a tour-de-force of precision and improvisation.
The tone was set with the album’s title track, a 20-minute monster that would have made Zappa blush. Every note was perfectly measured as simple guitar and drum loops built into an intense, polyrhythmic jumble, which often threatened to fall apart before morphing into a resonant ambient soundscape.
Several tracks followed a similar pattern: crescendo-based pieces would make way for slow-burning minimalist extracts that felt closer to sound art or contemporary classical music.
Given the polar extremities in the sound, the band’s jazz influences were often hidden but tracks such as Riot, with unorthodox guitar licks and complex syncopation, made a menacing bebop.
However, the complexity made it all a bit lacking in the emotion department and even the poignantly named Massacre Du Printemps felt more interesting than affecting.
This criticism could also be levelled at support act Slippy, as the Glasgow quartet built tracks around demented keyboard arpeggios that would repeat for five minutes accompanied by pounding drums, angry punk vocals and swirling clarinet.
It was carnival-esque without being gripping but, nevertheless, the fierce sound was a better fit for the night than Dundee math-rockers Wojtek.
The instrumental two-piece were the only remotely melodic band on show, albeit slightly one-dimensional, as a limited songwriting ability couldn’t cover for lack of a bassist.
That said, when they did switch up tempo, the results were substantially more impressive.
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