Album Notes

This is a first-time CD reissue of a classic 2001 recording by The Flying Luttenbachers. Almost 70 minutes of dissonant, high-energy free jazz featuring screaming saxophone, gutwrenching contrabass and pummeling drums, Trauma delivers the goods. In 1998, the group ended its "satanic power trio" phase and switched over to a hardcore improvisational modus operandi based around the core of reedist Michael Colligan (also of Pillow), bassist Kurt Johnson (also of Lozenge) and notorious drummer Weasel Walter. Over 1999 and 2000 this group (sometimes featuring Brotzmann Tentet member Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello) toured the USA and Europe, refining its barbaric approach to abstraction and intensity. Trauma was the culmination of this rigorous research and development: a crystal-clear studio recording of incredibly focused improvisation based on specific group languages concerned with speed, velocity and dissonance. This is violent, agitated music that will appeal to fans of Peter Brotzmann, Albert Ayler and Milford Graves. Seven years later, this stunning manifesto sounds just as futuristic as it did when it was released.