John Zorn
Xu Feng

It's pointless to hide it. There's much talk here and there, but in the end, no one is a phenomenon: John Zorn is an artist particularly difficult to listen to. Even the most faithful must admit that certain records, at least 5 or 6 of the aforementioned, are almost unlistenable. Completely hermetic. It's hard to find a spark of emotion in cold records like the early "Pool," "Locus Solus," and the like. Then there are others not immediately easy, where the sounds are barely hinted at, and to hear them clearly, you have to keep the volume at maximum (until an unexpected burst arrives and your room explodes under the power of the sound waves).

In short, despite it all being very captivating, you have to choose the old John's work wisely.

Therefore, if your experience has been touched by some disappointments, or albums a bit too weak for your coarse ears, you need a jolt of pure creativity, without those endless silences and barely audible percussion that only your dog can hear. "Xu Feng," let's admit, is a record that knows how to lift our spirits, because it's powerful: a vigorous work, extremely creative and purely "avant-garde".

Even though it has been categorized among the "Game Pieces," it cannot be said that it requires attention equal to "Lacrosse" or others similar. On the contrary, it's quite the opposite. Energetic, to the point of being fun. It's adrenaline, speed, and, I repeat, genius creativity.

The record boasts the participation of exceptionally talented musicians, such as the faithful Fred Frith on guitar, Dave Lombardo on drums, and the fantastic percussionist William Winant. In many of his compositions, Zorn does not appear among the performers, but his presence "behind the scenes" is all too easy to perceive. No one could have done something like this except him.

The duration might be seen as a flaw, reaching almost 75 minutes, but the extreme wave of involvement it brings with it, believe me, dissipates any long-windedness. Perhaps the least successful piece is the central one, "The Beauty of Yang Hui-Chen", which has almost Crimson-esque echoes but disperses the initial sound. However, if you're accustomed to John's works, it will undoubtedly be enjoyable, albeit to a lesser extent. Despite this, the first 5 tracks leave you breathless, one after the other, and pick up the right pace from the seventh on, with highs and lows. In short, it's surely worth a 5 without any doubt.

The title is rather fitting, as the sound vaguely recalls oriental avant-garde music (Koenji Hyakkei, or even the zeuhl of Happy Family), but as if it were rightly brought to the West. A contamination of stratospheric proportions, a tribute to the "musical diversity" that Zorn has always defended, thanks to his record label Tzadik. Along with further confirmation of his unnamable talent.

I was looking for it. I found it. Finally. Simply unmissable.