Man Forever is an exploratory percussion project helmed by John
Colpitts (aka Kid Millions), one of New York s most versitile and
critically lauded collaborators and a founding member of Oneida.
Since its inception in 2010, Man Forever has hosted an impressive
list of guest performers, but few have been as specially
qualified to perform Colpitts technically challenging meditative
workouts as So Percussion, the United States premiere
contemporary percussion ensemble. So Percussion has commissioned
and premiered new compositions by Steve Reich and their
interpretations of John Cage have revolutionized the legendary
composer s cannon. Following a collaborative performance at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in June of 2013, So and
Colpitts entered the studio together to record Ryonen, two pieces
that combine the former s precision and ingenuity with the latter
s restless punk spirit. While previous Man Forever records were
inspired by blissful, overwhelming confusion, Ryonen derives its
power from its clarity and immediacy.
The two pieces on Ryonen are rhythmically seductive and instantly
exciting while retaining the experimental legacy that Man Forever
has cultivated over several albums and relentless touring. The
Clear Realization is an exploration in polyrhythm performed on
two drums sets, two sets of os (an instrument Colpitts
rediscovered while performing with Yo La Tengo on Late Night with
Jimmy Fallon), a concert bass drum, snares, c cymbals, and
vocals. Each instrument is performing in a different time
signature at the same tempo, creating a beat that is both
propulsive and nonpredictive. Ryonen is more chaotic on the
surface, but repetitions and rhythms hidden beneath the surface
emerge with close listening. The drums are tuned to resonate with
each other, creating a series of overtones that hover over the
music and provide a baseline drone for the ensemble to harmonize
with during the piece s dramatic climax.
Colpitts continues to be one of the most in-demand drummers in
New York. Throughout 2013 he toured as a member of Spiritualized,
performed in duos with Greg Fox and Jim Sauter, recorded a record
with Akron/Family, released an album with People of the North on
Thrill Jockey, and performed with Rhys Chatham as a member of
Oneida. So far in 2014 he has recorded an album with Rick Moody
and is performing with William Basinski at the Ecstatic Music
Festival in March. Man Forever will tour the US and Europe
performing Ryonen.
Review
------
Inspired by Lou Reed s Metal Machine Music, Man Forever achieves
a similar feat to engage in pursuits that are generally the
province of the avant-garde without ceding an iota of essential
rock attitude. But while Lou Reed waited over three decades
before he revisited MMM, Oneida drummer Kid Millions has made
three Man Forever records in two years. The title of this latest
one is an impressive bit of self-referential hubris; essentially
it means know-it-all waterfall, and the beats do pour down upon
you like a post-cloudburst surge racing to sea level at Milford
Sound. And while the Kid s command of total human knowledge
cannot be ascertained from the album s contents, he sure knows
how to keep drum music from descending into drum circle tedium.
--Dusted
Oneida's Kid Millions and droning friends compress a drum circle
into infinitely dense jet roars. --Spin
Art music fans could trace the concept to La Monte Young and
Steve Reich s experiments in the 60s, while world music
aficionados would say that you d have to go back through the
centuries to the origins of West African ceremonial music. Either
way, even the most ardent modern drumset players are generally
used to working within much smaller chunks of time, and with more
obvious variation, and listening to minimalist music without
being totally prepared for it can be a maddening exercise. But
like the first time you watch an Ingmar Bergman movie or try
yoga, once you put your expectations on hold and stop fighting
the structure, it can be powerfully mind-expanding. --Modern
Drummer
