Malnoia: Hello Future
Outside in Music

At the core of Malnoia's sophomore album Hello Future is a concept explored in short stories by George Wallace, Chloe Sarbib, Leah Sarbib, and the trio's pianist, composer, and bandleader Jorn Swart. Yet as much as an examination of the ideas associated with the texts adds to an appreciation of the recording (they appear in the accompanying booklet), it's ultimately the performances that most recommend the release, something that's even more the case when the eleven pieces are instrumentals. Stated otherwise, the listener attending to the music alone will come away from Hello Future amply rewarded, even if absorbing the textual material generates an enhanced impression.

Central to the group's appeal is a lineup that pairs Swart with violist Benni von Gutzeit (Turtle Island String Quartet) and bass clarinetist Lucas Pino (No Net Nonet). It's not merely the unusual combination of timbres and textures that makes the playing so appealing, however: each is comfortable playing in a number of styles, from classical and folk to jazz and blues, and even better the transitions between them are executed seamlessly. With only three instruments involved, Malnoia's able to function as an agile and flexible unit, such that musical roles are regularly exchanged with remarkable fluidity. That constant realignment makes for arresting playing and engaging listening.

Interestingly, while the sci-fi-rooted album concept deals with the impact of an increasingly technology-driven society on its inhabitants, the trio's acoustic sound is wholly rooted in human interaction. The album title alludes to the idea underpinning the release in two senses, the first that we've already arrived at the future, the second that the future to come might be broached in a spirit of optimism, as opposed to the pessimism often expressed in science fiction writing towards the future. Yet whereas our experience in the world is growing increasingly digitally oriented, the performances on Hello Future are resolutely human in the players' responsive to one another and the many improvisations that occur. In Swart's view, there's something about these interactions that's unique to humans and beyond digital quantification, no matter how sophisticated coding has become. Making that genre connection explicit is the selection of Vangelis's “Tears in Rain” from 1982's Blade Runner as the album closer, the title alluding to the memorable sequence when replicant Roy Batty muses on the beauty and wonder of life before dying.

Swart's gift for melody is apparent the moment “First Ocean” starts. Elegant interplay between the three abounds, with pizzicati playing by von Gutzeit and a low-end pattern by Pino giving the leader's piano a robust foundation over which to glide. Roles change quickly, with the bass clarinetist moving into the soloist position to give the music a jazz-like feel. Just as rapidly, piano assumes the front-line, with Swart inflecting his expressions with swing, before the arrangement eases into a trio resolution. Melody is as imperative to “TimeSaver3050” in the poignancy of its melancholy theme.

Drawing inspiration from Radiohead's “Pyramid Song,” “Paultjuh” first opts for restrained impressionism before blossoming into crisp individual statements. Whereas “DemocrApp” is notable for how it shifts between classical formalism and an almost boogie-woogie variant of swing, the multi-faceted “New Religion” sees von Gutzeit indulging in fiddle-styled maneuvers and Pino pointing the material in a hard bop direction. A subtle Brazilian vibe seeps into the rousing “Choro Humano,” but it's as striking for the Grappeli-esque sweetness in von Gutzeit's playing, a tone the violist again adopts for the bluesy workout “Tubifoot.” Throughout the recording, the members impress with playing marked by control, patience, and assurance. No participant pushes too aggressively, but neither is there tentativeness.

April 2021