Dee Byrne is an artist swimming freely in a sea of creative possibilities. Her Entropiproject established herreputation as a fearless explorer of the interface between composition and improvisation, structure and freedom, driven by a constant urge to create. To reconnect with the roots of that urge, she took a deep dive into her own process, using visual art as a medium to unlock fresh approaches to composition. The results can be heard on her latest Whirlwind release, and seen on the cover art: Outlinesis a set of nine pieces for a specially assembled sextet of some of the UK's most adventurous and genre-busting musicians. Bassist Olie Brice, drummer Andrew Lisle and piano/keyboard player Rebecca Nashare all bandleaders in their own right, capable of navigating the complexities of Byrne's complex multi-modal compositions while allowing the spontaneity to flow freely: Tom Ward's collection of clarinets and Nick Malcolm's trumpet complete the frontline with Dee's alto sax, spinning tales and painting pictures. "There are a lot of strong, deep musical and personal relationships in this band - the sort that can't be fast-tracked. It's a real band!"
Dee describes the writing process: 'I decided to peel everything back to the basics of being creative. I started drawing and set rules for myself, retraining my mind to stop criticising - to follow impulse without being attached to outcome! Then I applied the same approach to writing music - they're genuine musical sketches!' Collecting together the musical fragments, she assembled them into compositions that could move easily from carefully structured written parts into free improvisation and back again. 'Capsule' encapsulates this approach: like a time pod of artefacts launched into space, with the horns' unison shifting and fragmenting over the insistent bassline - 'I often start with the bass! Olie Brice is so versatile and such a great musician. He gives so much'. 'Flow State' is named for the ideal state of creation, with bold full colour statements from Dee and Andrew Lisle 'Andrew is just putting out so much information all the time! He has a kind of hyper-interactivity!'
On both 'Arrow Of Time' and 'On The Other Side' the listener is drawn along contrasting pathways of complex interlocking rhythms that suddenly break apart to reveal unsuspected sonic landscapes, coloured by Tom Ward's rich-toned clarinets and the inspired keyboard work of Rebecca Nash, with memorable statements from Olie Brice and Nick Malcolm that steer the flow into new directions - 'All the players in this project are able really dig into playing tunes, but are also completely confident in being free.'
'Liberation' establishes a lyrical, optimistic feel, gently pulsing into a forward motion, while 'Immersion' deepens the flow state with almost big-band like textures over contrasting sections to evoke a sense of awe. By contrast, 'We Are Experiencing Turbulence' deliberately pushes the ensemble into unpredictable zones of tempo and texture to deliver a powerful air of foreboding, and 'Don't Mess With Me' develops an equivalent heaviness in an opposite direction with almost funky swagger driven by Lisle's powerhouse drumming. Finally 'The Dance' mixes five different lines played simultaneously, shifting in and out of sync across each other to create a kaleidoscope of sound.
Outlines is a bold and fully realised work that daringly reimagines the interface between control and freedom, writing and improvisation. The pieces develop naturally from written to free and back again, guided by a group of players in perfect harmony with the music and with each other: challenging and comforting the listener, and drawing them deep into Dee Byrne's complex and beautiful soundworld.
