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Exploding Customer - At Tampere Jazz Happening

Jason Bivins, Cadence Magazine

Exploding Customer (4) is simply one of the most exuberant ensembles around, built for speed and with a powerful rhythm engine at the core. Part Masada, part Ornette, part Vandermark Five, these cats fuse the omnivorous appetite for idioms that one hears in, say, Willem Breuker with the furious free playing which one expects from younger Scandinavians. The gurgling, bleating Hallonsten makes a perfect foil for the hot-toned Küchen, whose energy is practically uncontainable. They team up with the excitable rhythm section for multiple memorable moments, making this live date pretty much the equal of their debut on Ayler. Tracks like “Mr. BP (D)” and “Too Much Money” nearly punch you in the face, with a punkish urgency that’s pretty unique to this ensemble. The hot exotica of “Child, Child” is especially memorable, not least for that wonderful rocket launch Quigley somehow creates with his bass. The bouncy “Quoting Frippe” is a welcome return, as is the sassy, sinuous “A Broken Glass” (with its howling horn soliloquies). Chock full of romantic, Ayler-ish anthems, shaggy dances, and lilting, memorable themes, this record has an incredible surge to it. Fantastic.