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THE REVIEW
What happens if post-rock meets jazz?If Miles Davis on one of his countless wanderings stops in the Windy City or Ornette Coleman marries the funk of New Orleans?
And if a group of musicians from the Chicago scene meet for some sessions and decide to blend rock, jazz, funk, and electronics?
I don't know exactly, but something quite similar to Isotope 217 may emerge, a project that took shape in 1997, around jams led by Rob Mazurek, featuring among others some members of Tortoise such as Dan Bitney, John Herndon, and guitarist Jeff Parker.
This "Unstable Molecule" is certainly the most successful episode; the album (released by Thrill Jockey, a historic label of the post-rock scene, and beyond) is, as I mentioned, entirely permeated with a jazz-fusion vein that unmistakably recalls episodes of the Mahavishnu Orchestra and late '60s Miles Davis; and features Mazurek's trumpet, a jazz musician from the Chicago scene, who more than once in his career has indulged in digressions into rock, as in Tortoise's "Tnt" or Gastr del Sol's "Camoufleur."
The album opens with "Kryptonite Smokes The Red Line," which, like "Prince Namor," seems to have come straight from "In A Silent Way" or "Bitches Brew"; it continues with "Phonometrics" and "Audio Boxing," which are the funkiest tracks, while "La Jeteè" explores the realms of ambient and space rock.
In conclusion, what emerges is truly a good album, an original and disarming mix of jazz, infused with funk with incursions into minimalist electronics and hip hop reminiscences to be embraced unconditionally by genre enthusiasts, yet highly enjoyable for everyone else as well.
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Summary by Bot
Isotope 217's The Unstable Molecule is a successful fusion of jazz, post-rock, funk, and electronics. Inspired by Miles Davis and Mahavishnu Orchestra, the album offers varied textures from funk grooves to ambient space rock. Featuring Chicago scene veterans and released by Thrill Jockey, this album is a must-listen for jazz and post-rock fans alike.Tracklist Videos
Isotope 217
Chicago-based music ensemble formed around 1997 around sessions led by Rob Mazurek; blends jazz, post-rock, funk and electronics with contributions from members of the Chicago scene.01 Reviews
