Outer Space/Inner Space

From URB Magazine
Flanger is the piss-take version of the Compost Records thing - Germans with samplers appropriating jazz. Not only do Burnt Friedman (Drome, Nonplace Urban Field) and Uwe Schmidt (Atom(tm)) do their wanking while wearing smirks - humor being a very rare commodity among Teutonic jazzbos - they don't shy away from the conceptual implications of what they do either (pontificating is another no-no for cool studio cats). The liner notes, for instance, claim that the title is inspired by a J.G. Ballard essay, and offer a rambling, half-bullshit/half-on-to-something critical analysis of the album's music in a marvelous spoof of real jazz sleeve commentary.

For the first two Flanger albums, Templates and Midnight Sounds, Friedman and Schmidt went to great lengths to make you think they were made with actual instruments when in fact they weren't - vibraphones and Mangrove cymbals were listed in the booklet and the pair posed with basses and drum kits. This time out, they claim a bunch of Chilean and Danish guest musicians sat in, which actually might be true since the band that toured with Señor Coconut (Schmidt's Latino Kraftwerk guise) featured players from Denmark.

Inner Space/Outer Space covers the most territory of the three records, opening with convincing electro and touching on lounge-y vibes solos, Latino rhythms, and a bit o' clicky electronic percussion. These two silly buzzards can really tweak a studio in a subtly psychedelic way, turning congas into stuttering chirps and cutting up a drum solo to sound like the drummer's playing during an earthquake. Terribly entertaining, this one.

Darren Keast

Tracks:

Outer Space/Inner Space
Galak
The Men Who Fell From Earth
Inner Spacesuit
Le Dernier Combat
Unosietecero
It Ain't Rocket Science
Hirnflug

Customer Reviews:

Average.......2004-08-20

I'm a very open-minded person, and music is perhaps my favorite thing in life. I love techno, post-rock, jazz, all that stuff, but this isn't something I haven't heard before. The CD is good, but its only good the first time, and it declines for each listen. It doesn't make that extra step that makes a good album, perfect.

Space Coconut.......2002-01-15

To categorize this heady, experimental album as a latin jazz-fusion record that flirts with electronica,
or exactly the opposite remains a riddle. Masterminded by two jazzheads, somewhere between Santiago de Chile and Cologne, Germany,"Inner Space-Outer Space" is a
noteworthy musical combination where an imaginary Kraftwerk cover band would perform Sancho Panchez' repertoire. The display of musicianship is phenomenal, owing as
much to live instrumentation as programming, and offers a complete departure from the nu-jazz and broken beat sounds of other outfits like Jazzanova, Beanfield and Les
Gammas.With all it's bold complexities and explorations of new musical territories , the album remains fully accessible and highly enjoyable, with or without a space suit.

Brilliant!.......2001-11-24

Flanger continues to amuse & amaze. incredibly creative & groovy. i'm a huge fan of Burnt Friedman and this electro-latin-funk-jazz. it's all much more than that and the jazz is real here. unlike so much phony nu-jazz stuff out there, where djs or programmers simply lay down a groove...Flanger takes off with it. using real drums (& alot of "em), real bass, saxes, guitar, etc. combined but interwoven with effects that are used as instruments. and while the creativity flies it remains groovy & ultimately satisfying listening. i don't know of any other "band" that straddles so many boundries and remains so original. Thank You Flanger.