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Sketches & Ballads

Sketches & Ballads

By Full Blast & Friends

Available Formats:

CD Vinyl

Released in:

2017

Shipping from: Chicago / Vienna

Buy on Bandcamp

Sketches & Ballads

Ken Vandermark

Chicago, USA

A cornerstone of avant-garde music. Discover his groundbreaking discography, collaborative ensembles, and digital releases right here.

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catalytic_sound

An international music based co-operative designed to help develop economic sustainability for its artists through membership support.

🚨 NEW ADDITION on CD & DIGITAL 🚨 — "Sirenjaw" docu

🚨 NEW ADDITION on CD & DIGITAL 🚨 — "Sirenjaw" documents the first meeting of three musicians who, while previously connected through various collaborations, had not performed together as a trio before this recording. The project brings together long-standing musical relationships: @lukas________koenig and @vinicajado share a deep-rooted connection within the Viennese music scene; Koenig and @kitdownesmusic have collaborated both live and on record; and Downes and Cajado have recently worked together in a range of ensemble contexts in Berlin. The recording took place during a hot summer day in Vienna, where the trio approached the meeting with an open and immediate focus on collective improvisation. The resulting recording captures this initial encounter and serves as the foundation for an ongoing collaboration. Sirenjaw marks the beginning of a new ensemble, shaped through process, presence, and a commitment to collective exploration."

⚡️Get this and much more from @sonictransrec at the Link in Bio! - Become a member and stream fantastic albums and videos at the Soundstream ⚡️

#sonictransmissionsrecords #viniciuscajado #lukaskoenig #kitdownes #freejazz

🚨 NEW ADDITION on CD & DIGITAL 🚨 — “One Brief Cure

🚨 NEW ADDITION on CD & DIGITAL 🚨 — “One Brief Cure” by @haavardwiik , @borghiniantonio & @timothymark1976 (Relay Recordings / 2025) - “When an opportunity arose to record with two of my favorite improvisers in the world, I jumped at the chance. Though I have had a musical relationship with Håvard Wiik that dates back to the early 2000's, I had only once played with Antonio Borghini: a trio set back in 2015 on the Option Series at the @esschicago with reedist Mats Gustafsson. I had made a mental note to try and get a project going with him ever since then, and alas, here we are in late 2025. Better late than never, I say! Improvising with these two fine musicians feels like having a conversation with all sorts of good ideas being thrown around, with my percussive contributions being welcomed, acknowledged, and stirred into the mix in a way that keeps things interesting, cohesive, and flowing forward in surprising and unexpected ways. Not a bad headspace to be in on the bandstand. - I hope you enjoy the music as much as we did making it!" -Tim Daisy, Evanston, Il, February, 2026

👉 Get it at the Link in Bio! 👈

#timdaisy #havardwiik #antonioborghini #new #cd

Now streaming at Soundstream! 🎞️ Excerpt of Ikue M

Now streaming at Soundstream! 🎞️ Excerpt of Ikue Mori’s exceptional and detailed solo performance at the Catalytic Sound Festival 2025 at @constellationchicago — Enjoy the full remastered concert at our online streaming platform💥

#electronics #ikuemorik #chicago #constellationchicago #new

🚨 BAND SPOTLIGHT 🚨 — BALLISTER — This free-wheelin

🚨 BAND SPOTLIGHT 🚨 — BALLISTER — This free-wheeling trio first came together at a closed session in 2009, and as any fan of improvised music can imagine, the band hit hard from the first note and hasn’t looked back since. The unabashed energy of @daverempis and @paalnilssenlove , coupled with the electrified cello antics of @fredlholm , make for a powerful listening experience that combines driving grooves with noisy textures and occasional melodic interjections. These sliding and overlapping rhythms often give the music a feeling as if a rug is slowly being pulled out from underneath the listener while the music still maintains a strong forward momentum. Reference points include the Julius Hemphill groups of the 70’s and 80’s featuring Abdul Wadud, Ornette Coleman’s Prime Time, and the early-70’s explorations of Miles Davis’ electric bands.

🔸Listen to their discography at the Soundstream ⚓️ Know more at the Link in Bio.

#daverempis #fredlonbergholm #paalnilssenlove #freejazz #stream

🌳 NEW ADDITION on Vinyl & Digital 🌲 — from @sonict

🌳 NEW ADDITION on Vinyl & Digital 🌲 — from @sonictransrec , "MAN EATING TREE" is the first solo album by Belgian-born, Oslo-based pianist @jonascambien . On prepared piano and electric organ, Cambien channels a soundscape of meditative repetition and oscillating rhythms.

"Certainly the work of someone who, having mastered his craft, is now unfettered by constrictions, free to play among the garden of chance. Though a work of great sophistication, it remains unpretentious and footloose; music that will saturate the subconscious as much as the conscious mind."

💥 Available at the Soundstream or as a physical/digital release! Hit the Link in Bio to know more.

#vinyl #new #sonictransmissionsrecords #freejazz #jonascambien

🔊 Excerpts of "Parallelogram" by @thurstonmoore58

🔊 Excerpts of "Parallelogram" by @thurstonmoore58 & @johnwilliammoloney // Alan Bishop, @billorcutt & @chriscorsano ( @3lobed / 2015 ) - Available as a limited edition vinyl! 👉 Hit the Link in Bio

This album consists of never before released material compiled especially with this collection in mind. The LP is housed within its own letter pressed “matchbook” bearing new original artwork by Casey Burns and printed by dexterity press. Each LP is pressed on 140g black vinyl pressed at record industry in the netherlands and includes a download coupon. Mastered by Patrick Klem

“The Parallelogram collection originated in the particular magic that comes from finding the *right* musical pairing. We’ve all experienced the perfect song at the perfect time and know how electrifying it can be. The set and setting that combine to make those jukebox choices, mix tapes, or playlists really work can be so hard to define, but easy to identify once they are out there in the wild. With this thought in mind, Three Lobed proudly presents Parallelogram, a collection of five carefully assembled split albums celebrating complementary musical pairings.”

#chriscorsano #thurstonmoore #billorcutt #vinyl #johnmoloney

🚨 NEW ADDITION on CD & Digital 🚨 — “What Just Happ

🚨 NEW ADDITION on CD & Digital 🚨 — “What Just Happened?” is an album collecting four pieces by @paalnilssenlove , composed for smaller constellations of his @largeunitofficial ensemble. The pieces are for specific instruments: according, snare drum, saxophone, and tuba – from three to six performers. This act of stripping down the ensemble to single instruments does not mean sparse minimalism, rather the opposite, as Paal explores the possibilities – and limits – of the singular instruments. Adding to the quality of the music is the incredible level of musicianship of the performers, and their willingness to go into new areas.

The album was recorded in the church of Tøyen, in Oslo, June 2025, by Large Unit regular sound engineer Christian Brynildsen Obermayer ( @chryob ) , and produced by Paal himself.

💥 Available at the Soundstream or as a physical/digital release! Hit the Link in Bio to know more.

#paalnilssenlove #new #largeunit #freejazz #oslo

Announcing JUNE 2026 ADDITIONS at Soundstream 💥 25

Announcing JUNE 2026 ADDITIONS at Soundstream 💥 25 new additions at the CS Radio! 🎶 New albums from PNL Records , @sonictransrec … @largeunitofficial with @akira8262 and many more, @embrethooker ‘ new album with Cimota, @jonascambien , @dafnieband , @ken_vandermark & @timothymark1976 duo, and tremendous batch of albums from @tashidorjiiii and @unsoundslabel 🎶 Listen and discover at the Soundstream!

👉 Join in at the Links in Bio. 🎶

#new #freejazz #digital #streming #paalnilssenlove

⚡️NEW ADDITION on CD & Digital ⚡️ — “Daughter of W

⚡️NEW ADDITION on CD & Digital ⚡️ — “Daughter of War” is the debut album of the new four-piece band It Was Her Idea. @juliana_venter_vocalist and drummer @paalnilssenlove have already worked together in Paal’s PNL Circus project, and wanted to further this collaboration to a different direction, to explore other aspects that they had touched upon in Circus, and work with material that isn’t only composed by Paal. The first choice of bass player was @omvagan , who is an orchestra by himself. Ole Morten and Paal go way back as friends with a mutual respect for each other as artists, yet never really found the time to work properly together. Now’s the time. The fourth member is the Swedish (Norwegian-based) pianist @gronberg.oscar , who in the last year has clearly marked himself as one of the strongest piano players in the Scandinavian music scene. Already on paper you can tell this is going to be a different beast.

The four musicians started playing together in 2022, with all of them bringing in compositions, and through the juxtaposition of these four individual voices something new was born, something more than a one-off meeting. The music is a mix of jazz, contemporary music, noise, and conceptual pieces – a wide musical landscape that reflects the combined years of experience of the four of them. A strong feature of the band is the visceral vocal performance of Juliana, which gives the band a unique focus. The title track – the sadly all too relevantly titled “Daughter of War”, with lyrics written by @khaledafroagh – is a testament to Juliana’s strenght as a vocalist.

💥Available for streaming at the Soundstream or get the CD at the online store! - Hit the Link in Bio!

#paalnilssenlove #new #improvisedmusic #cd #stream

⚡️ NEW ADDITION on CD & Digital ⚡️ — "Calls!” is t

⚡️ NEW ADDITION on CD & Digital ⚡️ — "Calls!” is the third album from @paalnilssenlove Circus, following “Pairs of Three” (2022) and the live recording “Turn Thy Loose” (2025). Circus first came out of Large Unit as a side-project but quickly grew to become its own steady project. The band plays music composed by Paal, and in live performance the musicians are free to play any parts of any song at any time. On this studio recording they take a different approach, the songs are recorded separately and carefully produced (the CD and LP even has different running orders, as Paal believes the formats tells different stories). As the live album “Turn Thy Loose” the already powerful six-member line-up is extended with Terrie Ex, @andymoor and @zeamakkum from the legendary Dutch punk rock band The Ex. Collaborating with The Ex is not a first-time venture for Paal, who has been part of numerous collaborations with them in the past, but the Circus line-up/sound offers a new combination that feels fresh.

“Calls!” was recorded in both Amsterdam and Oslo and features six compositions by Paal, as well as two unusual cover songs: “I Should Be So Lucky” by the British punk band Stretchheads and a song from Nazare da Mata in Northeast Brazil, by Mestre Barachina. The band goes into some slight surrealistic and more conceptual areas, such as “Pussy Pussy Cha Cha”, “Eg Såg” and not least “Slainté”. However, the real standout will for many listeners be “Calls: Let they be free!” – a wild song that’s both danceable and political – and often a highlight when the band performs live.

☎️ Get it at the Link in Bio! ☎️

#paalnilssenlove #terrieex #andymoor #new #cd

💥NEW ADDITION on CD, LP & DIGITAL 💥 — from @sonict

💥NEW ADDITION on CD, LP & DIGITAL 💥 — from @sonictransrec , “Cimota seeks a unique sound as an ensemble, where the focus is equally based on collective musicianship as on solo-driven performances. The music draws inspiration from the entire history of jazz, European and American free improvisation and new composed music from all corners of the world. All this is framed by compositions with occasionally complex forms, intricate themes, grooves and swing, but also not afraid to explore the quiet, with long sound-based parts. It all flows easily and frictionless from start to finish. This is jazz for our time, challenging and accessible, melodic and abstract, music that refuses to be ignored and demands that the listener give it their full attention.

"[ˈkɪmɔtɑː] is packed with eventful, curious compositions—intricate yet restrained—shaped by a fascination with all the ways one can write for a small quintet: splitting it apart and stitching it back together. The music draws inspiration from odd jazz and 100–150 years of composed music, while along the way the ensemble also finds the occasional open space to scramble around in at will. There is a tangible joy inspired by all kinds of modernists, and a playful seriousness that I, at least, very much need here and now. To be continued.” -Filip Roshauw / Now's The Time

🗣️ Get this and many more new additions at the Link in Bio!

#ingebrigthakerflaten #havardwiik #new #jazz #vinyl

🚨 BAND SPOTLIGHT 🚨 — Ab Baars Trio one of the prim

🚨 BAND SPOTLIGHT 🚨 — Ab Baars Trio one of the primary outlets for Dutch multi-instrumentalist and composer @ab_baars (tenor saxophone, clarinet, shakuhachi). Formed in 1991, the trio has maintained a remarkably consistent lineup with bassist Wilbert de Joode and drummer Martin van Duynhoven, never changing its core personnel.

The trio’s music occupies a distinctive space in European free jazz, characterized by what critics have described as a “cool, restrained” Dutch sensibility—more focused on wit, grace, and nuanced interplay than the aggressive, “take-no-prisoners” style of their American counterparts . Baars’ playing draws inspiration from the extremes of tuning and color explored by saxophonists like Von Freeman and Albert Ayler . His clarinet work, in particular, reflects intensive study with American clarinetist John Carter.

They documented its work extensively on labels like Geestgronden and Wig, with notable releases including 3900 Carol Court (1992), A Free Step: The Music of John Carter (1999), Songs (2001), and Slate Blue (2014) . They have also collaborated with an impressive roster of guests, including Roswell Rudd, Steve Lacy, Misha Mengelberg, and @ken_vandermark (documented on Goofy June Bug, 2008).

🔸Enjoy their discography at the Soundstream 🌻 Know more at the Link in Bio.

#abbaarstrio #freejazz #wilbertdejoode #martinvanduynhoven #stream

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