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LabField's masterly third album, Bucket of Songs, shows a band that has expanded its palette considerably since their previous release. Whereas the focus of Collab (HUBRO 2502CD, 2010) was on a soundscape characterized by long, richly detailed, slowly flowing drones, Bucket of Songs is more a collection of improvised songs and tunes. Until now, LabField has been a duo consisting of the Swedish guitarist David Stackenäs (Territory Band, Seval, Fire! Orchestra) and the Norwegian percussionist Ingar Zach (Huntsville, Dans les Arbres, Arve Henriksen, Erik Honoré). Both are well-known names in the European improv scene. Stackenäs and Zach previously played in the trio Tri-Dim together with saxophonist Håkon Kornstad. When the trio was put on the shelf, they decided to form a duo and try out a radically different approach to music. Both their 2008 debut, Fish Forms, and their follow-up, Collab, showed an improvising duo using an overwhelmingly rich sound, on a steady course through a hypnotic drone landscape. For Bucket of Songs, LabField have invited the amazing Mariam Wallentin (Wildbirds & Peacedrums, Mariam the Believer, Fire! Orchestra) to contribute vocals on several cuts. Giuseppe Ielasi (guitar and electronics), from Italy, who guested on the duo's previous album, is included here as a full member, making the duo into a trio. Ielasi has released several solo albums on the label 12k, and has previously collaborated with Taku Sugimoto, Jérôme Noetinger, Phill Niblock, Oren Ambarchi, and many others. Ielasi also co-founded the label Schoolmap. Bucket of Songs is a powerful album that offers free and creative improvisation-based music and sends feelers out toward pop, minimalism, electronic music, and ethnic music.
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