Few groups are as independent and unburdened as Ill Considered. Making magic in a tiny 3x3m studio in London, with little more than their instruments and a shared vision of dynamic free-form music, Idris Rahman (sax), Liran Donin (bass), Emre Ramazanoglu (drums) cut Precipice in a furious set of three, two-hour sessions. Live with no overdubs and mixed the following day, it captures a group at the height of their creative powers, honing a sound that is liberated without being loose, fiery without being abrasive.
Precipice is a raw and stripped back expression of high-wire collective improvisation, seeing the group return to its core trio form after the expansive sonics of Liminal Space. Recalling the vertiginous intensity of ‘70s jazz in a contemporary context, the album hears Ill Considered go back to basics and confirm their place as one of the most virtuoso outfits on the UK scene.
As much as the individual tracks, Precipice is, like Ill Considered’s previous work, best enjoyed as a carefree whole - a tour de force, not afraid of the quieter moments that has the urgency and ephemerality of an intimate live show to be returned to over and over again.
Once again featuring artwork by De Boer, Precipice marks an exciting new chapter for a group that have garnered a cult-like status in UK jazz and instrumental music, while continually pulling at the seams of genres that simply can’t contain their energy.
