Natural Information Society with Evan Parker – “Descension (Out of Our Constrictions) I”

So this one comes with a caveat considering Evan Parker’s recent Covid misinformation spree, but I’m inclined to be excited for this massive new work from Natural Information Society all the same. The band has been laying out massive works of free scrawl and heath-thrum groove over the past decade or more, but this one seems especially resonant. The album is the first by the band to be recorded live, centered on a 75-minute set at Cafe OTO with Parker on sax. What seems to set this one apart is the body-high rhythm buzz that Abrams and the Natural Information Society create – wrapping Parker’s Coltrane-laced sax runs in a bath of groove and glee that’s unlike anything they’ve created to date. While its only a portion of the full performance, the opener, “Descension (Out of Our Constrictions) I” captures some of the key vibrancy of the piece, balancing the hypnotic nod of Mikel Patrick Avery and Jason Stein in as the pumping heart of the group. The new record arrives split via Abrams’ usual home a Eremite and EU label Aguire on April 16th.