Panoptic Modes

by Vijay Iyer

Overview

Pianist Vijay Iyer leads a quartet on his third outing, featuring Rudresh Mahanthappa on alto saxophone, Stephan Crump on bass, and Derrek Phillips on drums. Iyer's two previous releases were attempts to integrate the avant-garde, South Asian, and M-Base concepts that shaped him as a player and composer. On Panoptic Modes, Iyer continues to do this, but manages to arrive at the next level in terms of artistic focus and vision. With this new quartet music (three tracks are trio pieces), he continues to eschew the rhythmically obvious at all costs. His harmonic and formal concepts are as challenging as ever, yet his exceedingly difficult writing is rendered oddly accessible by the unperturbed facility of his band. Highlights include the brisk, rolling rhythms and animated piano/drum conversation heard on "Configurations"; the highly angular juxtaposition of melody and bassline on "Atlantean Tropes"; the dark, suggestive world of the anti-death penalty ballad "Numbers," which lasts not even two minutes; and the stirring quartet remake of "Trident" (a far slower trio version appeared on Iyer's 1998 record, Architextures). Highly recommended. ~ David R. Adler

Product Details

Release Date:	06/14/2011
Label:	Pi Recordings
UPC:	0808713090420
Rank:	209565

Tracks

1. Invocation
2. Configurations
3. One Thousand and One
4. History Is Alive
5. Father Spirit
6. Atlantean Tropes
7. Numbers (For Mumia)
8. Trident: 2001
9. Circular Argument
10. Invariants
11. Mountains

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Vijay Iyer   Primary Artist,Piano
Rudresh Mahanthappa   Sax (Alto)
Stephan Crump   Bass (Acoustic)
Derrek Phillips   Drums

Technical Credits

Scott Thompson   Assistant Engineer
Stephen Cohen   Information,Booking
Vijay Iyer   Producer,Liner Notes,Composer,Mixing
Lyle Mays   Composer
Cookie Marenco   Mastering,Producer,Engineer,Mixing